Beyond The Grave
by Raylie Knight
Summary: Duo's been dead for four and a half years and life has moved on with Relena taking his spot shamelessly. But a misplaced fax finds its way to Heero and the other pilots and they suddenly find out that everything they know has been a lie...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I'm not making any money here!!!

This Fic was originally supposed to go in a completely different direction! However, this is where it ended up going, and I am saving my former ideas for a later Fic. Hopefully this will work anyway. I know I shouldn't start another one…but I couldn't help myself!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 1: Betrayal

Relena happily snuggled down against Heero's chest, the alarm wouldn't go off for another five minutes and she was going to enjoy every second she got before her perfect soldier woke. Instinctively his arm tightened around her and it made Relena smile that she could invoke such unconscious reactions in him.

She lay there warmly, forgetting everything else for a moment and just basked in the glow of the early morning. In just minutes Heero would get up and go for his morning run, she would get up and get ready for another day in the office. When Heero got back he would take his turn getting ready, preparing for another day in his office at Preventor Headquarters. They would eat breakfast together and then he would take her to her office and kiss her goodbye. She'd meet him for lunch after a rigorous morning of phone calls and signing papers, maybe Wu Fei might join them, he was Heero's partner.

They'd go back to work, another kiss, and then she'd toil the long hours until he came to pick her up and they would go home. Dinner, sometimes with the other pilots, she and Quatre were good friends now and Trowa too. Then they might read together on the couch, they might watch the news together, or they might partake of the promises the night held and she could tame her soldier in her bed.

All too soon the alarm announced the time and Heero woke next to her. Relena feigned waking and looked up at him with sleepy eyes.

"Good morning." He tilted down to meet her kiss and then he was rolling out of bed. Relena took a breath to mourn for that lost moment; it was time to start another day in her perfect life. She finally had everything she wanted, Relena smiled as she watched Heero dress for his run, his taunt muscles flexing beneath tanned skin, yes…everything she ever wanted.

Even if sometimes his touch was somewhat empty, hallow of emotion. Even if sometimes during their lovemaking she could swear he was looking past her, through her. She could forgive him those moments. He'd hadn't had a normal childhood after all, he'd survived a war, no one could come out of what he did unscathed.

Still, her life was perfect.

Until the fax.

Relena realized that she had brought this upon herself as she looked down at the paper in her hands, the fax that had come in just moments ago. She'd been sitting, resting between signing documents and diplomatic phone calls when the fax had beeped urgently at her and she'd run to close her door and then run to read the fax. There were only two reasons the fax beeped more than twice when a fax came in, one was if it was a family emergency, the other…the other was her secret to keep, a secret that threatened her perfect life.

The fax was from a doctor, a doctor who worked for her, a doctor whom she had hired when no one else would because of his reputation during the war. The doctor was telling her that something had gone wrong with one of his patients, he watched over several people for her, people she wasn't afraid to lose to his rather brash practice. People who were kept away from society for their own good, dangerous people. It wasn't a prison per say, it was more like a home. She was doing them a favor really; she was the only thing between them and a real prison.

Reye's Syndrome, a disease that was more common in children than adults, deadly in most cases when not caught right away. The doctor wanted her approval for surgeries and other tests that he didn't go into, but the hints made Relena's skin crawl. She pushed the paper away from her and shuddered. She got out of her chair and walked over to her window, allowing herself to feel the sun on her face and remember other things in place of memories of the war that sprung to mind whenever she was faced with the doctor.

Relena turned back to the fax with her mouth set; the doctor knew what he was doing, if the patient died under his knife, well…those things just happened, no one really had control over it. Relena pulled a pen from the holder sitting on her desk and quickly signed the paper with a flourish at the end. She didn't even realize she was smiling as she did it.

A soft knock made her head jerk up abruptly; she shoved the fax under another piece of paper and quickly took her seat. "Yes?"

"Ma'm, Agent Chang is here, about the Ambassador's visit next week, and you have a phone call from Chairman Doone. Oh, and did you want these copies made in twos or threes?" Her secretary had a clipboard in her hand and held out some more documents for her after she'd crossed the room.

"Oh," Relena looked around her desk for the Ambassador's file and gave her secretary the pile she was done with. "Let's do threes, and you can tell Agent Chang to come in, this call will be brief."

Relena took the call, talking swiftly as Wu Fei came in; she smiled a greeting to him and held up her finger, asking for a minute. He nodded and took a seat in a chair. Her assistant handed him the papers he needed off her desk and he began to read over them as Relena finished her call.

"Thank you for waiting Wu Fei, it's been a busy morning, I can not wait till lunch, I need a break." She smiled as he nodded.

"The Ambassador's visit is causing similar disorder where security is concerned." Wu Fei allowed himself to give her a small smile in return.

"Where is Heero?" Relena asked as she shifted papers around a bit more and set things up so she could start signing the new documents when their meeting was over.

"He is currently going over the Ambassador's schedule, running through it so we have an idea of vantage points." Wu Fei put the files away and looked to Relena.

"How big is the security detail going to be?" Relena asked, getting down to business. They discussed the entourage she was going to end up with, press covering of the event, the first nights dinner and then lunch was approaching fast.

"We should finish this later." Relena relented, she rubbed at her eyes, hunger was making her irritable now.

"Agreed." Wu Fei looked like wise stressed.

"Good, I have some stuff to do still before then." Relena tried not to let her fingers tap in exasperation. She needed to get that fax sent off before someone saw it.

"I will not be joining you for lunch today; I will see you this afternoon." Wu Fei stood, giving her a slight bow of his head and left.

Relena sighed heavily when the door was closed; she sat back in her chair and closed her eyes tightly. At least this would probably be the second to last fax she ever got if the doctors reputation held true. One last fax, telling her it was over, and then she'd never have to deal with this stress again.

Relena finally sat foreword and pulled out the fax from its hiding place. Except that…it wasn't the fax. Just another paper for her to sign. Relena's heart jumped and she began to dig. She shifted and looked through every paper on her desk, searching first thoroughly and then frantically.

It was here, it had to be here! She'd hidden it right under…the…Ambassadors files!

Relena felt her heart jerk in what she was sure was a heart attack; she stood and raced for the door, running full out, ignoring the way her secretary called after her. People scrambled out of her way as she ran, willing Wu Fei to have dawdled for once, for him to still be there…but of course…he wasn't. He was long gone…with her fax…gone.

Gone with her fax…to see Heero.

Relena fell to her knees in the lobby and stared out the doors into the bright sunlight. Her perfect world shattered around her in that light…people talking at her, shaking her, trying to get her to look at them…all gone.

Wu Fei walked into the office he shared with Heero and set down the files he'd collected at Relena's office on his desk. He sat and pulled up the program for the scanner on his computer and began to methodically scan the papers.

Heero came back and sat down across from him at his own desk with an exasperated sigh, looking worse for wear than when he had left. He just sat there for a while, staring up at nothing, blank. He did this from time to time, especially when the day was especially stressful, Wu Fei let him.

"This is going to be a nightmare." Heero finally broke the silence. Wu Fei sighed himself and agreed.

"These files are extensive; however, they don't provide much insight that will help us. They are mostly for Relena's benefit." Wu Fei rolled his shoulders in an attempt to get the muscles in his back to relax; he was finally nearing the end of the pile.

Heero grunted and leaned forward to lean on his desk. He stared at the piled work in front of him and couldn't bring himself to start. How many years had it been now…how long since…

"H-Heero!" Wu Fei's alarm caused Heero to jerk up and look at him. Heero froze, the only other time he'd seen that look on Wu Fei's face had been…

"What is it!?" Heero demanded his chair rolling back as he stood quickly. He practically ran around the desk to look at Wu Fei's computer screen, where Wu Fei was staring with that horrified look on his face.

Heero stood behind Wu Fei's chair and began reading the file that he had just scanned into his computer.

The title heading was one he'd never seen, a place he'd never heard of. A prison that didn't exist; couldn't exist because both men knew the names and locations of all prisons. But what stood out, what caught his eye, what made him shake and grab onto the back of Wu Fei's chair till his hands hurt and he heard fabric ripping was a name…D. Maxwell.

Heero felt everything reeling away, turning as he stumbled backwards, forcing his hands to release the back of Wu Fei's chair, until he hit the wall behind him and braced himself there. _Alive…!? Sick! But still alive…not dead...Not Dead!_

"He's…alive…" Wu Fei echoed Heero's thoughts, his voice breathy and horrified.

"Duo's alive…" Heero didn't recognize his own voice, it wavered with emotion and his heart ached as he tried to stay standing. It was unbelievable. It was a miracle; it was…it was…a betrayal of the worst kind.

"_RELENA_!" Heero said her name like a curse. He let his sudden hate run through his veins like ice cold venom. He wasn't sure if he could stand only moments ago, and now all he wanted to do was run from the room to commit murder. "She paid for everything! She fucking helped us pick out the gravesite!"

Wu Fei said something in Chinese, Heero could only understand a few words, but what he did know were half curses and the other half something about dishonor and death.

"Where is it!?" Heero demanded, pushing off from the wall. He had two choices here, and he couldn't very well walk into Relena's office and start killing. And there was no way he could see her now and not shoot her, not harm her in some way, but a small part of him still understood the good she was doing for earth and the colonies, that she was still needed. But the other part of him put up a good argument, what kind of people needed someone like this for a leader?!

So there was only one other choice left. He was going to go get Duo, whom they thought dead for years now. Four and a half years, too long! What had he suffered at Relena's extended hand, what did he think of them, did he think of them? Did he resent them all, had he hoped to be rescued? Had he fought to escape and fail and curse them for it? Did he think of him, of Heero?

The fax with Relena's fresh signature on it said something about Reye 's syndrome, what was that!? Was it deadly? Was he somewhere in pain, writhing and hating them for deserting him? For surely that was what they had done. It would've been kinder to pick out a bullet and shoot him. Memories assailed him, forcing him to think back on the last time they'd all been together, then the last time he'd eaten lunch with him and Wu Fei, and then the last time he'd seen him. The last smile Duo had given him, how it had haunted him all these years, and how it caused him even more pain now! That smile, he'd destroyed it. The accident hadn't been his fault, it had been amazing that such a thing to take one of them away…but this, this was different. This was his fault…it was Relena's fault really, it was her behind the whole thing, but in part, it was his fault too.

_No wonder it was closed casket! _The sudden thought made Heero nauseous even as he watched Wu Fei bringing up maps on his computer. The way she'd cried with them, the way she'd comforted him, all lies! All vicious, knowing lies. He'd made love to her and believed that what they had was real, but it was all false! This was her doing, and he was going to undo it, at any cost.

"Here!" Wu Fei pointed at a mountain, seemingly in the middle of no where, "This is where she's hiding her prison."

"Then that's where I'm going." Heero scowled at the map.

"Where we're going, my friend." Wu Fei corrected him then started making phone calls while Heero left to tell Une they were leaving, sending up a silent prayer to whatever god that would listen that it wasn't too late.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I'm not making any money here!!!

Wow! I didn't expect that many people to respond to this fic! I don't think any of the other have ever sparked this many reviews! THANK YOU!!!! This is what makes it all worth while! This is what spurs me on to write more! So I figured that for such a strong response, you deserved another chapter! And for those waiting on Locked Doors, I'm almost half way through the last chapter, just hang in there!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 2: Sickness

Duo stirred, woke and cursed. _Still alive, still here_. The two things he always remembered when he woke, everyday was a struggle, every night was terror, and every sleep he hoped would be his last.

_OZ has nothing on this Looney_! Duo thought not for the first time as the doctor danced into his line of vision. A mad man, a psycho, a complete idiot too. Duo loathed him more than anything else that had become his life these past four years, going on five. When his mind was clear he remembered enough to thank Relena for all of this, but for the times when his mind was reeling from the pain, from the shock and the sickness, the doctor was the best target he could focus on.

Hating the good Doctor Aykan had gotten him through the better part of his time here. Spiting the doctor was a sport really. Staying alive one more day, though he may wish for death to take him from this constant hell, was the only pleasure he had anymore.

Aykan liked him alive, oh yes he did, alive to take more, always talking how he'd never had such a specimen under his knife before, but each day that Duo lived also tormented him. Aykan prided himself on mysterious deaths, and then cut up the bodies to see what he'd done. It was his ultimate goal with each inmate Relena had delivered to his hands. That Duo was still alive after all he'd done, that Duo could take more than anyone before him, it was Aykan's bane and greatest gift.

So Duo accepted that his victory against this mans madness was a small one, but took it anyway. Since he hadn't died, Duo started to look around. But instantly regretted it as his head suddenly throbbed and his vision swam.

"Alive and awake Maxwell?" Aykan's voice came from far away, as if Duo were listening to him from underwater. "I'm sorry to say we haven't gotten our fax back from the Peacecraft woman yet. They child like queen hasn't responded so we can't move ahead as scheduled."

Duo wondered why he sounded so sad, why he was disappointed and again, wondered what exactly the schedule was and how Aykan ever planned these things out.

"I know, you're disappointed too. Such a procedure is rare; it's something that would have furthered research, especially with a live specimen!" Ah, reduced to the specimen again, Duo was very familiar with that. He suspected that Aykan referred to him that way to save what little sanity was left in him. Distance himself and save himself as he killed Duo. "The drawback is we need the child queen's permission. She made it quite clear she wanted all the big stuff reported back, yes? So we sent the fax yesterday, hoping she'd be prompt. But no such luck, and another day only means further progress for the sickness."

Duo found himself drifting back to familiarity with the doctors words. He hoped this would be a good day. Some days it was hard to remember who he was, who he'd been, why he was there. But on good days he was quite aware of everything. And though that meant more pain, it also meant a day where he could watch for his one chance. That one opening where he might possibly…where he could…where…_OH GOD!_ The pain was unbearable!

Duo moaned and struggled against his restraints on the bed, gaining Aykan's unwanted attention.

"Does it hurt Maxwell? How much? Scale of one to ten!?" Oh his excitement was scornful! "Beyond that!? You know what you've got! I diagnosed it myself! Reye's Syndrome! What luck! It's more common in children you know."

Duo wanted to spit on this man, but his mouth was so dry! He strained against his bonds, but the day when he could even start to stretch them was long gone. His strength was still there, but not so much physically anymore. The doctor had kept him healthy up until he'd somehow caught the flu. He'd been allowed to lift weights, to run, to do pull ups all in a controlled gym. But then, Duo suspected, he'd caught the flu from another inmate. Tanner, a man who was always getting something. A man who'd dwelled at the very bottom of society and thrived. Drugs of all kinds mutated in his veins. The doctor had lost him only a week ago.

Aykan had been utterly amazed at how things responded to each other in Tanner's blood. He still had vials and bags stored away in a freezer somewhere. Duo shuddered at thoughts of what the doctor had planned for that blood!

But the flu, that's where things had slowly gotten even worse than they had been. Duo had been isolated again. But up until then he'd been able to mostly roll with whatever Aykan had planned for him. A little down time and he'd be up again. Spurning Aykan's attempts and earning more attention in the backlash.

But the flu, the flu of all goddamned things! That had been what had finally gotten him here, hoping for death with even more vehemence than before.

Duo stopped as the pain dulled some and he could open his eyes again to the too chrome room. "What did you give me you crazy fucker!?" Duo demanded, his hands finally relaxing out of fists, new half moons of blood joining the scars left there by his own nails.

"Reye's Maxwell! Reye's syndrome!" His laugh was high and sharp, Duo hated it! "Primarily a children's disease! But it can occur at almost any age, most harmful to the brain and liver, causing acute increase of pressure within the brain and massive accumulations of fat in the liver and other organs." His words, his text book words made Duo blanch, made him dizzy again and caused more hatred to gather in his bottomless well for this man.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!?!" Duo yelled, his voice echoing around him and his brain slapping him right back for the abuse. The pain slowly dulled again with Duo straining against his bonds, fighting to get lose, to kill himself at the very least. He wasn't going to see this one through if he could help it! Wasn't going to let this, Aykan's latest experiment, be his downfall.

He didn't want to survive this one only to meet a worse face another time around. If he had to live in this, this abomination one more year he really would lose all sense of himself, he'd lose everything he had left…which wasn't much.

One thing left to him was his memory, and he wouldn't betray that. He was out of here, one way or another! Duo blinked the light out of his eyes as his thoughts ran round and round in his head. Always going back and starting over.

"The disorder commonly occurs during recovery from a viral infection, although it can also develop three to five days after the onset of the viral illness. Reye's is often misdiagnosed as encephalitis, meningitis, diabetes, drug overdose, poisoning, sudden infant death syndrome, or psychiatric illness." Oh GOD! He was still talking!!!! "Symptoms of Reye's include persistent or recurrent vomiting, listlessness, personality changes such as irritability or combativeness, disorientation or confusion, delirium, convulsions, and loss of consciousness."

Aykan got down real close to Duo's ear, almost whispered to him, beheld him as a lover would, wonderment shining in his eyes. "You want to know the best part Maxwell?"

Duo shook his head no, but the doctor took no note of it, too far gone in his fantasy to allow Duo to ruin it. "There is no cure." Duo heaved then, it was all too much. But, as usual these days, nothing came up. Even his stomach bile was saying down as he was forced to dry heave. His throat burned all the way down to his stomach, and his head blinded him with pain. Still, the doctors words reached him, a part of his brain that had been conditioned by the war still working, never stopping, always absorbing data for later. "It's only when it's caught early that there's hope. Protect the brain against irreversible damage by reducing brain swelling, reversing the metabolic injury, preventing complications in the lungs, and anticipating cardiac arrest. It's all about management."

Duo caught his breath again as his muscles stopped contracting in his chest, as his stomach finally let up and the pain set in for another assault against his brain and body.

"Recovery from RS is directly related to the severity of the swelling of the brain. Some people recover completely, while others may sustain varying degrees of brain damage." Aykan wouldn't stop now that he'd started, now that he knew Duo was listening, now that he had audience that couldn't refuse him. "Those cases in which the disorder progresses rapidly and the patient lapses into a coma have a poorer prognosis than those with a less severe course. Unless Reye's is diagnosed and treated successfully, death is common, often within a few days."

"SHUT UP!!!" Duo screamed at him, kicking out as hard as he could, whipping his head back and forth, pulling his arms against his restraints till he thought something would surly snap and break, if not his bonds than his bones.

"Be calm Maxwell, otherwise I shall be forced to sedate you." Aykan's voice was eager, not at all in tone with the treat he was offering. Duo could tell he was simply aching for Duo to push the envelope, to force his hand to what he longed to do. And so, he stilled, calmed himself down. Paid for his lapse as the pain assailed him again and concentrated on breathing and the beat of his heart as the doctor pattered around him in his squeaky shoes. "That's better now."

Apparently it wasn't from the disappointment in his voice. "You will be glad to know that these textbook terms do not apply to you. You are not only a unique specimen, your disease is unique too. You will be the first documented case of induced Reye's syndrome."

The pride in his voice was something Duo had come to expect, but always blindsided him none the less.

"You sick…" Duo started to cause him, planned to let out a string a swears that would normally have people running from him as he turned his deadly violet eyes on them, but the doctor only batted him away.

"Yes, yes, you can assail my ears later; you may fill a book with all that you know of obscenities, but now is a time for science! Remember, even if this disease is induced, you're recovery relies completely on how soon I can reduce the swelling in your brain. And each hour that child queen does not send a response your case worsens." Aykan spoke of her with such adoration, such impatience for her rules and regulations, but on the whole the man adored her at a level that Duo suspected would be dangerous if Relena ever denied him anything. But that day would probably never come.

With everything hidden away in these mountains, Relena stood little chance of her secret ever being discovered. And Duo knew she would be very careful with any fax that originated here. There was never hope of a rescue, Duo had dashed those hopes within hours of arriving; his only hope was his training.

Incapacitated, his chances lessened and the probability of death escalated immensely. It was why he wished for death so, it would be the only complete escape from this he would ever get. He barely even thought of the outside anymore. Faces and names dashed from his mind. His only hope was to find an opening for death, to welcome something he'd escaped so often during the war, now he couldn't find it!

"Oh! Dash it all!" Aykan pulled out a needle and started moving towards one of the many tubes he had running directly into Duo's veins. "I shall simply call her and get a verbal confirmation!"

_NO! NONONONONONONOOOOO!!!!_ Duo screamed and thrashed again as Aykan injected the needle neatly into his bloodstream and then turned and left the room.

Duo was out before his hand was on the doorknob.

_Brothers, in all but blood!_ The words haunted him only in his dreams, comfort and torture wrapped up together as memories washed over him. Even through the pain they were clearer than anything he saw while awake. Eating away at his sanity night after night, a requiem for Duo Maxwell, damned and hopeless.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I'm not making any money here!!!

Thanks for the reviews! This is what those reap! More chapters, faster! Although, I must admit, you are all distracting me from my other stories! LOL! Or at least that's how it's supposed to work! This would have been up A LOT sooner, but somthing was wrong with it wouldn't let me post! Outrage! so...finally!...here is ch. 3! (plus i got distracted with gay pride in phoenix! oops.)

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 3: Damage

Heero wondered if blood would ever return to his face as he finished reading on Reye's Syndrome. He was sitting in an empty terminal at the closest Preventor base, a very quick, very discreet conversation with Une had gotten them a SR-X3 transport ship used for mountain rescues where landings were questionable, and it was ready to leave as soon as Trowa got here with the doctor Quatre had borrowed from the Preventors payroll. It was tricky, but with all their roles working without intervention, Heero hoped to have Duo back here and in the Intensive Care Unit before the second day dawned.

Quatre was staying behind, making sure to have things ready to go when they got back if Duo's state was worse or better than what they thought; though it wasn't looking that way from what Heero was reading on his lap top. He had two rooms cut off and was guarding them while also giving Relena the run around with every power at his command, since none of them was quite ready to face her, Duo being priority one.

Trowa and Wu Fei were coming along, both traveling with Heero in the SR-X3, Trowa piloting in case they couldn't land, and to keep tabs on their borrow physician. Wu Fei would back up Heero, but would also keep a link open with Une, she was ready to bust this whole thing open, discreetly of course. They couldn't expose Relena, least ways, not yet, but they could put an end to this whole fiasco and keep her from setting up anything else, or interrupting them.

Heero was leading, and he was grateful for the support from Une and the swiftness of her actions, kept secret with the help of Sally Po. The moment he had started reading, the blood had drained from his face, leaving him pale and dizzy. He hadn't expected Reye's to be such a severe disease! At the very least, he'd expected…he didn't know what, but not something that produced out comes like brain damage, comas and death.

He could only imagine the pain that came with such things, and now, more than ever, each second felt like it was one too long that they weren't gone yet. More and more his disgust with himself was growing, the way they'd deserted Duo! _Not just me_, he had to keep remind himself_, all of us, we all thought he was dead. _

Heero heard rapid footsteps coming from down the hall and Wu Fei entered the room, he had a medical bag and three packs, Heero already had weapons and they were all dressed and ready for anything this prison was going to throw at them, all they were missing was…

More rapid footsteps, two sets. Heero snapped his laptop shut, shoved it into his pack at his feet and stood and put on his pack in one fluid motion. He and Wu Fei were moving for the automated sliding doors at the end of the room when Trowa and Doctor Kitty Phillips entered the room. The doctor hesitated a little, but Trowa didn't, continuing his stride to catch up with Wu Fei and Heero. The shorter woman with close cropped blonde hair and harsh green eyes ran to catch up and smoothly took the medical bag from Wu Fei as she climbed into the SR-X3 after them.

A tall man with a pilots helmet on let them as Wu Fei took his place where he'd been starting up the small ship and signaled them the ok to take off as they got approval from the tower at the same time. Wu Fei got them off the ground smoothly and into the air. Behind him Heero, Trowa and Dr. Phillips put on headsets and checked in while the two men helped the doctor strap herself in tighter.

"Mr. Barton told me that my patient has Reye's syndrome?" She turned it into a question aimed at Heero who was leading this operation.

"Correct." Heero confirmed, as he went over what he'd read in his search just minutes before.

"Good, I brought a hypertonic IV of a glucose solution, it's said to help prevent progression, but that's only suggested treatment during the end stages of the syndrome. Most of everything else I have isn't going to do much good. The patient is most likely going to need a brain surgeon more than anything else. The most I can do is reduce the swelling with medication and try and get more oxygen to the barin. This needs to be done fast, I have no idea if your man has had any treatment or how long it's been since he was diagnosed. Success if going to depend on time." Heero didn't need to be told, but he let the severity of her tone confirm all his thoughts and notions he'd gathered as he'd learned exactly what Reye's syndrome was.

"Dr. Phillips, will we be able to transport him safely when the time comes?" Heero asked, goosebumps dancing up his arms, he didn't like any of the odds that were coming at the edge of his thoughts, each minute passing as a calculation in his head, based off the time he'd read off the top of the fax.

"I won't be able to say until I see him." She gave him a sympathetic but sad look and Heero didn't take it well as he turned away from her to watch their progression.

The rest of their trip was scattered with questions to the doctor and short comments and observations between the other three. Heero couldn't hear Wu Fei's conversation with Une, but he could see the Chinese man's mouth move in short bursts now and then. But the only thing really on his mind was getting to Duo and odd thoughts…such as how Relena had managed to make the accident look so real, yet somehow get Duo out of it alive. Or, what they had done with Duo's few belongings in the past four and a half years since his presumed death.

Heero's heart jumped as he recognized the area from the memorized map in his mind, they were close now, and it was time to prepare to land or to jump. Either way, Duo was only miles away now, miles away when he'd been "dead" for so long.

The thought of never seeing him again had broken Heero four and a half years ago, now the thought of seeing him was tearing down what he'd put back together.

Duo had lost something, but he couldn't think what. Something was gone, through the pain he could tell that his sense of time was off, his sense of direction was off and he wasn't feeling things like before.

His thoughts were scattered, but they'd been that way for so long now, it was hard to remember what it was like before. He couldn't remember what it was like not to be tied down here, sick and helpless. Waiting for Aykan to come back, waiting for death, waiting for some kind of change and getting nothing.

He tried to think but all that came to him were words from a song, words that haunted him and taunted him. Words that told him he was left alone to die while everyone was off, happily living. Unloved, he was going to die here and no one would know.

Part of him burned to hear the song again, to take comfort from it; for he was sure he had in the past. But he was also sure that there was no way that Aykan was going to bring him the song, in any form. He hadn't been allowed music for so long, he was sure of that. It used to be something constant in his life; everywhere he went he'd had music, its absence scarred him just as much as these tests, these inhumane practices on his body.

Everything was wearing down on him in an increased effort to break him, to finally make him stop everything. Stop breathing; stop fighting, stop wishing, hoping or scheming. Just stop. And gods help him, but something was being done right, something was succeeding where others hadn't, because he wasn't even thinking about escape anymore.

He didn't even struggle anymore, just listened to himself breathe and tried to figure out what his heart was doing. It was jumping around; some part of him recognized the words 'irregular pulse' but that part left and wouldn't stay long enough to tell him what that meant.

It didn't match the pulse in his head at all, but that was steady, and growing. Duo coughed, hating how the pain grew and wouldn't recede like it had other times.

"She's not taking our call!" The anger in the voice that caught him off guard made Duo flinch. Anger wasn't good when you couldn't fight back, and he couldn't fight back, not tied down like this.

_I don't think I really want to die yet,_ Duo thought, _I thought I wanted it, but now I'm forgetting something. _His own thoughts weren't making sense. He did want to die! Why was he telling himself, through round about ways too, that he was forgetting something, something that was keeping him from dieing?!

"Something has happened!" Aykan's voice was accusatory and worried in the same instant, and even as he went around checking Duo's vitals with hard, long fingers with sharp, jagged nails, he still managed to look excited. "How are you feeling now Maxwell?"

"Twenty-nine." Duo sputtered out, shivering violently.

"Twenty-nine!?" Aykan asked, then light shimmered in his eyes, "Ah, yes, the pain! Good, good."

Duo cursed him, but he didn't think his voice raised enough for the doctor to hear him. He closed his eyes and waited while the doctor started to pull at his hair. Duo was wondering what was going on, why, of all times, was the doctor pulling at his braid now!?

"She's not taking our calls and I haven't gotten a fax back. But she's made her position on things clear in the past. She must be away on a trip of some kind." Duo moaned and wished again that the doctor would be struck must by some merciful god. "We'll just tell her what happened when she gets back, eh? Your condition is peaked and it's too good and opportunity to pass up. She'll understand."

"What are you doing to my hair?" Duo asked, though through his pain and exhaustion he was pretty sure it came out "whatta'r doing m'hair?"

"We'll have to prep you for brain surgery. All this hair must go!" Aykan explained and Duo felt a rush of pure panic, but it was accompanied by a wave of pain and nausea, so his voice failed him as Aykan reached for the scissors.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I'm not making any money here!!!

So yeah, I'm trying to put out another chapter for every 10 comments I get. Lol, weird, but yeah…I would just like to point out that this fic came out of nowhere! Seriously, even I don't know where I'm headed with this! So bear with me while I feel around a bit to see how this is going to turn out! Btw, a side note, LD is 2/3rds done!

Oh, an warning: Violence, language, etc.

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 4: Psycho

Relena gasped for air, she was sure she was having a heart attack, or at least a stroke! It was the thirtieth time she'd tried to get a hold of someone who would know where Heero was only to wind up talking to one of Quatre's secretaries again! She was getting the run around and she knew it, but some part of her mind still screamed that she was the Queen of the Fucking World, this shouldn't be happening!

"Ma'm? Ma'm!?" The knocking at her door picked up again, she could hear familiar voices outside, talking about her, talking to her, talking, talking, talking!!!!

"Shut Up!" Relena yelled at them. The knocking stopped and she could almost see them, waiting with baited breath for her next words.

"I'm Busy! Reschedule all my appointments and go away!" Relena barked. She knew they shuddered at her tone; it wasn't often that she raised her voice. She wound't have to, if only they would leave her alone.

"Ma'm? Wouldn't you like a break, we have a tray out here for you if…" Her secretary tried to bribe her though the door.

"NO!" Relena snapped and picked up the phone again.

Even when she tried to reroute her calls to call in some of the favors she was owed to find out what was going on, she somehow still ended up talking to the same three people. What was worse was she was sure they were just taking turns picking up the phone and making fun of her. It was infuriating, didn't they realize who they were messing with!? Didn't they realize what was at stake here!?

Well, she'd show them! She'd make sure Duo stayed dead this time! Nothing was going to ruin her perfect life! Nothing!!!

Heero ran ahead, letting Wu Fei lead the doctor while he left them behind to get rid of any obstacles in their way. He could hear shouting around him, other inmates, other people Relena had hidden away, other betrayals to the society he'd helped her build. His icon, his reason, his purpose, it was all being turned into this! Heero couldn't believe, couldn't even think back to how all this had happened, how he'd been deceived, how he'd deceived himself. If he did his disgust with himself just grew more and more, overwhelming him. No, not right now, right now he needed to move ahead, needed to find Duo. Needed to at least start to make this right.

That thought turned him cold even as he kicked in another door, finding a weight room complete with mirrors and other exercise equipment, this place was enormous! Make it right…the phrase fell so dramatically short of what needed to be done. He might never be able to make this right, might never earn Duo's forgiveness…

Heero moved down the hall, he was growing more and more frustrated with each empty room, each room that didn't hold Duo. He found a corner and one hallway lead off to something called 'Atrium' while the other one was labeled 'Infirmary'. Heero's heart leapt and then stilled with a deadly calm. He was steady now, steady as he ran, gun lifted and safety off. He was blank inside, black and white. Duo was white, Wu Fei and the doctor were white…everything else before he glowed black.

Duo let the nausea go, forgot trying to keep his throat from spasming, he let the pain fuel him, let the feel of Aykan's hands in his hair allow him the movement. It probably helped that half the room exploded when he moved, though Duo really couldn't tell if that was really happening or if the pain was doubling in his brain.

But Duo jerked fast and hard, lifting himself up and over as far as he could against the restraints and was rewarded with his hair sliding through Aykan's hands. He still knew that the scissors closed, that he had saved his hair but…not all of it…

Duo finally screamed, for the first time, not for the pain or the nausea or even the total humiliation of it all, but he screamed for his hair. For all it represented, for all it was of him. Because, past all the pride and symbolism, forgetting Sister Helen's love and the home he'd almost had, letting go of the war, it was a limb that Aykan cut. A part of him in everyway, even without blood running though it. And Duo screamed his pain that overwhelmed and overshadowed all else.

Duo bucked against his restraints and then jerked harder as his other pains joined in and sent him into darkness.

Heero saw Aykan, scissors held up in the harsh light of a room that looked all too similar to OR's he'd been through in the past. Heero tried the door, seeing only Duo's profile, his eyes shut tight in pain, his arms straining against tight bindings that were holding him firmly to the operating tables. When it didn't open, Heero backed up one step turned his gun to the door and fired. He held the gun higher than normal, aiming down as he shot out the lock and then shoved his shoulder into the door.

His entrance served to distract Aykan long enough that Heero saw Duo jerk hard against his captor and for a moment he thought it was ok. Duo's scream broke the silence and Heero's rage overtook him as he saw nearly half of Duo's braid fallen to the floor, slowly sliding out of its braid but still held together by its little black tie.

Heero felt the gun leave his hand but paid it no mind, he wanted his hands on Aykan, and death was too easy an out for this monster. Heero had Aykan in his hands and up against the wall before the insane surgeon could even begin to utter words of protest. He was still in shock of someone being there who was deffinently not one of his prisoners or one of the men who worked for that woman.

Heero growled low in the back of his throat, an old and familiar possessiveness steeling over him.

"Who are you!? What are you doing here?! How dare you interrupt my…" Heero pulled back his fist, clutching Aykan in place by his neck and let his darker side take over. Let his anger go and let his deep well of rage wash over him while his mind reverted back on pure animal instinct.

It had been a long time since he'd last felt this as he let his fist smash into Aykan again and again, slamming the back of this mans, this monsters head back into the wall, the sterile white wall. The metal around him shone brightly as a stone like blankness crept over his face and old urges leapt to mind. A mental click went off somewhere in the back of his mind, he could almost hear it, like taking the safety off.

He had to get 02 out of here, had to get them back to the safe house, had to make sure this man was dead. Not right away, had to keep him alive, to suffer, like he'd done to others. Innocents. Was dead for what he'd done. 02 was injured, he would have to secure a doctor, safe. Had to get them safe. 02 was imperative, to the mission, for the mission. Not for himself, never for himself, even if…

"HEERO!" Wu Fei spun him around, grabbing a tight hold on his wrist where he was crushing Aykan's windpipe slowly but calculatingly. "Heero! Focus!" Wu Fei barked at him, deliberately getting up in his face, making Heero see him.

Heero let go of his rage, let it fall back into it's endless well and close up in his mind, locking it away. He looked at Aykan, still under his fingers, collapsed against the wall at his feet where he'd slid down to when Heero had stopped holding him up. Leaving behind a sick trail of blood from the back of his head. It was spattered out where Heero had held him, a bloody halo for the crazed doctor. Heero realized he'd killed the man, he still breathed, but unless they got him care right now, he was dead. And Heero wasn't about to spare the doctor when Duo was laying only feet from him, in pain…Duo!

Heero broke away from Wu Fei and turned to find Dr. Phillips bent over the table where Duo was strapped down. She was speaking to him but Heero couldn't tell if Duo was answering her or not. Heero crossed the room in three easy strides and came around to stand on Duo's other side.

Dr. Phillips didn't seem to notice him there, even as he reached out and ran his fingers lightly along Duo's arm.

He was real; he was here, right in front of him. Breathing, labored and harsh, but breathing. Chest falling up and done, mouth open and gasping for each breath, lips spotted with blood from where they'd cracked from dryness, fists clutched tightly at his sides, head thrown back, eyes shut tight in pain but…_Alive_!

Heero didn't notice his own fists unclench, his bloody knuckles relaxing at his sides, his hands coming to rest next to Duo, tentative, afraid to break.

"Bring me that, remove the bag first." Dr. Phillips barked quickly as she put away a stethoscope and pulled out a metal lined box that held a bag of fluid. Heero moved quickly, bringing an IV pole and stripping it of a bag already hanging there. Dr. Phillips hung her one and ran a tube down to Duo's arm where she'd already tied a tourniquet and inserted a needle into his raised vein. She untied his arm and instructed Heero and Wu Fei to take off the restraints holding him down.

She pulled out a set of syringes as Heero gently undid the binds on Duo's upper body and arms while Wu Fei worked on getting Duo's legs free.

"We need to get him out of here and to a proper operating room with a brain surgeon. I don't like any of this! That…that…_man_ was prepping him for brain surgery! But he was…his computer…get whatever files you can!" Dr. Phillips snapped as she injected a solution into Duo's other arm. Heero broke away and pulled out a flash drive and started to quickly download Aykan's files.

Wu Fei spoke to Trowa over a radio, instructing him that it was safe to land and that they were going to get Duo out of there. Then he switched over to Une and started talking quickly to her, telling her to send a prepared team after them to secure the prison after they left.

Heero pulled out his drive when the computer informed him he had everything that was there and then turned to help Phillips and Wu Fei transfer Duo over to a back board the doctor had set up on another bed with wheels so that they could get Duo out of there.

They moved him smoothly over onto the different bed and that was when Duo's eyes fluttered open. Phillips was instantly there.

"Duo Maxwell? Can you hear me?" She asked, looking at his eyes as she did so.

Duo moved straggly, as if unused to having his arms free. "whoarree yoo?" Duo muttered, his tongues darting out to moisten his lips, but not really succeeding since his mouth was so dry.

"My name is Kitty, I'm here with your friends to get you out of here. Just relax, you're going home now!" Phillips let Heero push her aside as they started pushing Duo down the hallway.

"Duo?" Heero asked his voice low and strained. He hoped Duo didn't hear the desperation in it; he hated himself so much right now.

"Oh ffuck. 'm deead." Duo rasped as he rode another wave of pain. Not realizing the pain was letting him know that on no uncertain terms was he dead.

"No!" Heero said, wincing as his voice made it harsher than he'd meant. "You're not dead! We're getting you out of here Duo! God! I'm so sorry!!!"

"YUY!" Wu Fei barked as the little security needed to run this prison finally showed their faces, blocking off their exit.

Heero cursed under his breath and turned away from Duo, pulling out a gun as he did so.Duo blacked out again, letting the darkness claim him, part of him still unwilling to believe the sounds around him. This was another hallucination, it had to be.

Relena would never allow her Heero to find out about her secret prison; never let her precious perfect soldier find out just what she really was.

Heero didn't shoot to kill, thought a part of him screamed for justice, he simply shot to injure and immobilize. With Wu Fei's help and Phillips guarding Duo, keeping him on the move, on a path out of that hell, they made their way through the small mass of 'guards' and out to the other side where Trowa was calmly taking out anyone who approached the pad where he'd landed.

Heero faced the prison while Wu Fei and Phillips loaded Duo at his back, securing him in place in the SR-X3. They were getting Duo out of there; he'd killed the man who'd done the direct damage. All that was left was to get rid of the source. The problem was could he take Relena down?

He was willing too, but the woman who'd once ruled as a queen was desperate now, politicians were at their worst when desperate. But that was all she really was now…a politician.

Heero remembered what Duo had once said to him, "Politics? Poli means many and tics are little blood sucking insects. Sure Heero, all you need is a can of bug spray!" He'd smiled at Heero, a big grin that went clear up to his eyes, making them sparkle violet and dark at the same time. Heero had wanted to laugh, to smile back, had wanted to allow himself to be Duo's friend and had wanted so much…

He'd discovered his love for his partner too late and then Duo had been gone…dead.

Oh yeah, he could deffinently take Relena down!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I'm not making any money here!!! PLZ don't sue, you'll only get pillows and a bunch of red polo's!

AHHH! Something tells me I should have upped the number of reviews just to give myself more time in between chapters just to think and come up with what's going to happen next!!! But now that I said it, I won't take it back, so here's the next chapter.

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 5: Pain

Duo was absolutely positive that he was hallucination. He just had to be, any alternative was just too cruel. He was bordering on consciousness now, but that thought alone was frightening. That he could realize what was going on, and not at the same time. Something was pulling him to sleep longer, to stay in the comfort of the blackness and warmth while at the same time something was pulling him to wake, to be cold and in pain but to know what was happening.

It was his instincts that won in the end. Instincts learned on little sleep, with a gun in the hand, ready for anything. Ingrained into his very being, that kind of sixth sense that spoke of danger and blood, of looming death and habit.

So Duo followed the pain back to the sharp white light as his eyes cracked open and tried to look around. The blurriness was added to with a barrage of sound. It was all muddled together and Duo couldn't separate anything, just like he couldn't isolate the shapes moving around him.

Duo began to fight against it all, again he whished for silence, no doubt this was Aykan and his incessant need to have lots of noise going on while he operated, while he sawed through Duo's bones and shot him full of needles and…and…

Duo jerked violently. The thought of Aykan brought forth the last time he'd seen the man, strapped down and unable to fight back, the silver scissors leaving his vision and the sound of them closing, sharp and painful.

Duo let his lungs fill and pulled against hands holding him down, desperate to get away, he had to get back to his cell, assess the damage Aykan had done while he'd been out! He had to see for himself just how much Aykan had…had…c-cut…

Duo let his rage and fear spill out of his mouth, a guttural cry. Not a scream, but more of a yell. His raw throat protested, but Duo wasn't planning on stopping till he was gone from this room. If Aykan wanted silence, sick bastard was probably enjoying this, then he could just knock him out again.

Duo ignore the pain building up with each yell, ignored the signs his body was trying to give him that it was so very close to breaking. He trashed away and let the pain fuel him, more and more, pumping adrenaline into his system, letting his blood pressure rise dangerously. He just needed an hour, maybe an hour and a half…just needed to…to see.

"Duo, please…" the 'please' stopped him. Aykan never said please, never asked him anything, well, maybe how much pain he was in. But that was more of an order. He never, never used the word please. Duo fought to control his own outburst. Pulled himself back from the edge he'd been fighting to throw himself off of. He opened his eyes again and was rewarded with something close to clear sight.

But what he saw made him moan in a different kind of pain.

He was almost sure he was looking up into Trowa Barton's face. He was almost sure he could just reach out, just a few feet away, he could just reach out and touch his friend…or, someone he'd thought of as a friend.

Could have sworn that…but the hands holding him down reassured him that this was just another hallucination. He was strapped down in Aykan's lab, far, far away from Trowa, from Quatre, from Wu Fei, from…

Duo turned his head away, not wanting to see Trowa's face, not wanting that hope inside him to try and come alive again. And, predictably, his hallucination followed him, trying to keep itself in front of his eyes, trying to keep him from seeing what was really going on. Oh, his brain was considerate, was really just trying to protect him, but he wasn't sure why it even tried anymore.

The rest of him had accepted his fate, why couldn't that last part of him just let things be!? Why couldn't he just die!?!

Maybe it was just Shinigamii, trying to come back, trying to escape its little black box in the back of his mind…

It was a fun thought, that he could call forth his old monster and unleash it here, could free himself somehow using old strength and old desperation. But he also knew that if he let out Shinigamii one last time that it would be the last time, that there would be no putting him back in his box. That his mask would stay up forever and that all the others here with him, all the others Relena didn't want in her perfect world would die at his hands.

So Duo kept the lid on tight and tried to ignore fake Trowa's pleading. Tied to see past him, tried to focus on anything else that would bring him back to some semblance of sanity.

"Please Duo, Calm down. It's ok now, we're at the county hospital, you remember, it's just down the road form Preventor HQ. You visited Heero here when he got shoot on his mission to retrieve that stolen flash drive. You helped him, you hacked your way through the phone company and found that man trying to decode it…Slay. He shot Heero and we all came and visited him, just two floors up." Ah. This Fake Trowa was tricky, he was using old memories to try and make himself seem real.

It really sucked when his brain decided to go on these little trips without consulting him first. He would much rather have seen Heero in his last few moments. No offense to Fake Trowa, but Fake Heero was kinder, better to look at and loved him. Where as Fake Trowa needed to remember he was taken, a married man.

Fake Heero would have been a lot better, his mind might have won if it had decided on remembering Heero rather than Trowa because Heero would have fought for him, would have yelled and ranted and shot someone. Was making threats and using all of his influence as a top Preventor agent to help him. Was…wait…was?

Yes, that was Heero, when Trowa moved a little to the side he could just make him out. That unruly hair, that uniform, that fierce scowl…and there was Wu Fei. Well, wasn't this just a happy little party in his head!?

Trowa offering him comfort, trying to calm him down so he could enjoy watching Wu Fei and Heero arguing with some doctor over him. Duo wondered when Quatre would show up with a birthday cake.

"I assure you that Duo can handle it, despite his condition! Or do you want him to wake up again while you're operating!?" Heero was yelling.

"We are soldiers, Gundam pilots, trained and contrived to withstand mass amounts of drugs. Resistant to some. Yuy is right; you can not treat him like any other patient. Look for yourself!" Wu Fei suddenly pointed at him and Duo wondered why his hallucination was making so much sense. "He's awake and coherent!"

Heero's face when he looked over and realized Duo was looking back at him made Duo ache. Fake Heero was so considerate and caring, even now he was dashing to his side to make sure he was ok. Was asking him how he was doing, if he was ok, where it hurt.

Duo smiled up at him, trying to make it pleasant, but sure it came out a little wan.

"Hurts everywhere." Duo muttered, loving how real Heero's hand felt against his face. It was even more real than his last dream of escape, although that one had involved a hanging of a certain blonde.

"Just hold on, we're going to get this moron to make it stop. You're safe now Duo!" Fake Heero insisted. Fake Wu Fei hung to the side, talking quietly to Fake Trowa.

"Mm-hmm." Duo sighed, wishing it were true, wishing…

"Duo…I'm so sorry…so sorry I couldn't stop him…couldn't stop him from…" Fake Heero was stammering.

"S'ok. You weren't there." Duo tried to comfort him. But Fake Heero was not comforted, instead he looked worried and slightly angry. Duo cringed; Fake Heero usually didn't get angry with him in his dream. He supposed it was a side effect of the…of whatever Aykan had done to him.

"No, Duo! Pay attention. This is real!" Fake Heero tried to reason with him. Duo just smiled up at him.

"Be nice if it was…" Duo muttered.

"I'm going to have to insist that you leave now!" The doctor was back, ushering Duo's memories out of the room…

But Duo didn't recognize the doctor. Aykan didn't have any help while operation. There were far too many nurses and other doctors here!

Wasn't this his dream!? He should be able to control things here! Why was Heero leaving!? Duo tried to reach out to his hallucination, suddenly unwilling to let it go. He didn't want to go back to the pain so soon!

Heero saw the movement, tried to get back, tried to return but hands were moving him along, taking him away!

"Wait!" Duo rasped, his raw throat making it a whisper that fell on deaf ears. Shouldn't they hear him, shouldn't they be bowing to his every whim! Shouldn't they be people he knew, people he'd seen, and people who'd treated him before?

Why was his mind pounding him with strangers!? If they were strangers, shouldn't they be faceless, like before?

"Ok Duo, we're going to up your dosage per your…comrades' suggestions. You can relax now, you're in good hands." The doctor was nodding to someone, was smiling down at him, but his eyes were sad…

"Wait!" Duo begged, and they heard him this time. Duo didn't fight his bonds, allowed himself to look around. Allowed himself to feel.

There was never any pain in his dreams. It was the only place he could be free of it. So why was he in so much pain now!?

"Yes Duo?" The doctor asked, raising an eye brow, waiting on him.

"Is this…" Duo was almost afraid to ask, was afraid he was going to be provided with the answer he wanted by his own need. "Is this…real? Where am I?"

"It's alright, you're in the University Hospital, and we're treating you for the altered Reye's syndrome that Dr. Aykan gave you. Your comrade, Heero Yuy, provided us with the doctor's research. But this is all a battle against time, so I need you to lie down and relax." The doctor, the woman at his side, they all were too real to be a hallucination! There was something off about all of this, this was not something he would imagine, not where he would choose to go in a dream

Duo lay back, letting his head rest, noticing the little blue cap hiding what ever remained of his hair. He let the nurse talk him through a countdown as a mask was placed gently over his face. As the mask bit into his face, as he heard the heart monitor and soft murmur of hushed voices talking over him, he realized it had to be real. It had to be because none of his hallucinations, none of his dreams had ever held this much detail.

Heero, Trowa and Wu Fei hadn't been fake, had really been there, and had really gotten him out, just like he'd always hoped. They'd come back for him, after all this time!

The concern on Heero's face had been…real. Wu Fei had fought for him along Heero's side. Trowa had been there, calming him.

He knew his hair was gone…knew that had been real. But maybe it was the sacrifice needed. Maybe it had placated whatever god hated him and that god had decided that Duo had suffered enough. That it was ok to grant him his one wish, just the one.

"It's real…" Duo muttered as the world around his disappeared again, but this time, he wasn't so afraid of waking up again, this time he really sincerely hoped he did. For the first time in years he didn't wish for death to come for him in that dark. He wished for the second chance that was suddenly being offered to him.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I'm not making any money here!!! PLZ don't sue, you'll only get pillows and a bunch of red polo's!

Here's hoping this chapter come out as good as it did in my head while I was at work. Such an inspiring place…ugh.

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 6: Denial

Heero knew he should be grateful for the hand on his shoulder. Knew he should be grateful for someone to hold him back from violence. Knew he should be sitting and waiting for news of Duo, still in surgery, just a few doors away but still so much between them that Heero didn't dare push through for Duo's safety.

Yet, here he stood, Wu Fei and Trowa holding him back physically, Quatre blocking his path to the source of his anger, and Sally Po standing there, hands up in the universal sign of surrender and looking, well, she kind of looked scared, as well she should be! But she also looked frustrated with him, pleading with her eyes for him to understand while she stood there and repeated a message sent to them from Commander Une, the woman who was their boss.

"I still don't understand." Quatre sighed heavily, looking at him it was almost as if he wasn't even aware that Heero was behind him, seething, barely being held in check by his comrades. But though they held their fried back, the rest of the pilots were just as in shock and anger at this sudden denial of justice. "What do you mean that Commander Une is officially, on the record, stating that we are under direct order not to pursue this matter; that we are, in effect, to make no offensive move after Miss. Peacecraft?"

"Exactly what I said, word for word." Sally smiled at them while Heero fought not to take everything out on the damn exasperating woman right then and there. How could they deny them this!? How could Une, knowing what Relena was capable of, knowing who she really was beneath that thrice damned pink façade, allow her to go untouched, allow her the freedom to do this all over again!

"Une was lied to too, just like the rest of us, Miss Peacecraft played us all as her pawns! How can you just let her get away with it!?" Quatre finally yelled, which Quatre rarely did, surprising them all and drawing Trowa away from Heero and to his lover's side.

"We're not!" Sally protested, letting her offence at his accusation show. "Miss Peacecraft will be put under the strictest of surveillance. All of her employees will be interviewed and replaced where necessary. We won't let anything like this happen again. But we can't touch her. We don't have the proof or the support to go after her in court." Sally looked Quatre in the eye, focusing only on him. "That is why I am here to tell you that Commander Une is officially, on the record, stating that you, all of you, are under direct orders not to pursue this matter; that you are, in effect, to make no offensive move after Miss. Peacecraft per her orders."

Sally stared at him, ignoring the others, ignoring Wu Fei's disgust even as he talked Heero down from his violent rage and Trowa's attempts at getting Quatre's attention away from her. She stared and waited, watching the wheels turn in Quatre's head till she saw dawning realization on his face and gave him a big smile.

"Well, my message is delivered, I'll be back to visit Duo when it's allowed." She gave them a cheerful wave and walked off with a little bounce in her step.

Heero turned away and collapsed angrily in one of the waiting room chairs. It was a small waiting room, just outside surgery. Chairs lining the walls, a small table for kids with standard toys on it. A TV bolted to the ceiling. Magazines that no one read spaced sporadically around the room. Just a place to be near at hand while peoples loved ones were being pushed in and out of doors that swung both ways. Swung with hope and with despair.

Heero stared at the doors from under his bangs, hating them. He stared while Quatre came to sit next to him, sliding into the chair rather than dropping into it as Heero had. Heero saw Quatre's smile out of the corner of his eye and snapped his face around to scowl at him.

"Damned…" Quatre cut off Wu Fei's curse.

"No Wu Fei, they're on our side." Quatre couldn't' help the little laugh that slipped out mid sentence.

Heero growled at him, not understanding and letting his frustration boil down on Quatre, a nice blonde target for his still simmering rage.

"Don't you see Heero?" Quatre asked, turning to look at Trowa and Wu Fei too, "They're formally, very formally, stating on the record, so there is no argument, that they are _officially_ ordering us not to pursue this." Quatre watched the knowledge dawn in Trowa's and then Wu Fei's faces, but sighed in exasperation as it still eluded their enraged friend.

"Heero, we have one signature. Just one wayward fax. Relena has had this under wraps for years! We don't have enough proof to take her to court, to get her through legal means. It just wouldn't hold up. The Preventors can't seek justice with only one signature." Quatre tried explaining it.

Heero saw it at last. Une couldn't support them officially if the tables were turned and Relena got the better of them, which she most certainly would, in court. So she was making sure that everyone knew she had ordered them to let this go. But she couldn't control her top agents, her best men, who were all ex Gundam pilots.

"She can deny it all if we…she can keep the Preventors out of it." Trowa voiced their thoughts. Though none of them was daring to finish where this thought was leading, not just yet.

It was enough to cool Heero's rage down to a mild fury. He still didn't see how keeping Relena where she was but under control was helping anyone, but he could see how this could go very badly for the Preventors who relied heavily on donations and fund raising events, where Miss Peacecraft was always sure to be seen among the pilots.

Heero calmed himself by turning his anger towards the swinging doors, which weren't opening like he kept trying to will them to. Instead they stay closed, too bright and too clean to be real, but still keeping Duo out of reach.

Always out of reach…

Heero ran his hands through his hair again, still not caring after all these years that there was no taming the mass on his head, instead the odd thought passed through his mind that Duo had once looked at him after a particularly stressful mission, thought out which Heero had been running his hands through his hair. And without any explanation Duo had taken one look at him, smiled, tried to hide it, smiled again and then had burst out laughing.

Heero could almost hear his laugh, had remembered it so many times these past years, yearning to hear it again, clinging to dreams where it echoed in his ears and made him twist himself up in the sheets unconsciously.

Heero wasn't listening to the voices around him anymore, instead he could see Duo ever so clearly, just days before the…the staged death Relena had probably been planning for years!

Heero hated how all his memories were now tainted by her. Every moment he could remember being with Duo his mind found a way to twist around so that he was left just wondering how long she'd been planning, the double meaning behind each phone conversation, each gathering, each and every encounter where Duo and Relena had been within a mile of each other! How could he not have seen it!? He saw it now, too clear for any kind of comfort.

She'd hated him, loathed him, and what had just been beginning between…she'd forced herself into Duo's place and he'd let her! He'd barely even noticed…

"Heero?" Quatre stopped talking and Heero stood up and started walking away briskly. Wu Fei was following him quickly.

"I know your rage my friend, I feel it too, but we cannot act until…" Trowa put himself between Wu Fei and Heero as Heero turned down the hall and into the men's room.

"Stay with Quatre." Trowa told Wu Fei as he followed Heero into the restroom. Wu Fei stood there, startled and confused. The sound of Heero retching was enough to turn him around and start him walking back towards Quatre. Even if it had been an order, even among friends, he resented it, but this he understood too. They'd let their comrade be replaced, by that woman, they'd dishonored his memory. It was shameful, more so now that it turned out to all be lies.

"We should have seen." Wu Fei cursed himself, surprised when Quatre answered.

"We didn't want to." Quatre's tears were spent, but they still marred his face. "We didn't want him to be dead, so we filled that void. We loved him, she counted on that, she used it against all of us. She played us perfectly." Quatre knew the self loathing Heero was feeling, that was overwhelming him.

Wu Fei acknowledged Quatre's insight, agreeing. No matter how the braided man had annoyed him, he had been a comrade. He had respected Duo, had known the jesters mask for what it was and had long ago realized that he was not the fool he played at.

"Still, we should have seen." Wu Fei sat down to wait again, furious with no outlet for that injustice.

"Yes." Quatre agreed, sitting down too and hearing Heero, just around the corner, coming back with Trowa. "We should have."

Heero stood, Wu Fei standing with him, Quatre and Trowa standing moments later as they woke up. The doors opened and several nurses were pushing Duo out. The doctor was trailing them, exhausted, wary on his feet and rubbing his face.

Heero shoved himself next to Duo's side and looked down at such a brilliant being now cradled in the white sheets, looking so small and skinny and…hollow.

"He'll be monitored closely, but we really won't be able to amass what damage was done until he regains consciousness." The doctor told Quatre. Heero barely heard them. He stayed next to Duo, flashing the nurses an angry glare that made them jump when they tried to shoo him away.

One looked back at the doctor who nodded, still talking to Quatre and Trowa while Heero walked next to Duo and Wu Fei followed. By the grace of Quatre's name alone, Duo had been granted a private room and that was where they took him now.

At Wu Fei request one of the nurses went to round up more chairs and Heero took the only one in the room and pulled it up next to Duo's bed while his IV's were set up and his heart monitor was stationed next to his bed on his other side. Heero settled down, knowing Duo wasn't about to wake up that moment…no matter how he wished it. Heero looked around briefly to find Wu Fei already asleep in a chair and two more sitting next to his. Heero shifted and crossed him arms, he tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes. Just for a moment, a four hour nap. Just enough so he would be articulate when Duo did wake. Quatre and Trowa would be there soon…just a quick nap…

Duo didn't let his breathing change, kept his heart rate down, kept his eyes closed and kept his body lax and pliable. It was an old tactic, if he'd been captured he could wake without letting the enemy know, could wake and attack before anyone was the wiser.

But that wasn't why he was using said tactic now. Instead he was slowly letting his mind bubble up to the surface. He was foggy, fuzzy, dizzy, all kinds of other words that ended in 'y' but what he was actually perusing was memory. A good solid memory of where he was, who he was with and a million answers to a million other questions that his mind was spewing at him instead of information.

Aykan, hair, Fake, not fake, real? Duo still didn't let his eyes open like he wanted them to. Didn't give into the urge and very yearning that was holding him tight, just tried to think it out before he set himself up for another heart wrenching disappointment.

How many mornings had he woken up just like this, in his cell, believing whole heatedly that his dream had actually been real this time? How many times had he had to go through another day of torture with hope still lingering it's hold on him? How many times had he had to go to sleep again with the wish for death hanging over him, heavy and suffocating? How many times had he cursed his own luck for dodging death?

So Duo tried to take in other information, information his eyes couldn't give him just now, not before he knew, not and render him another crack that only broke him further.

Pain? Gone…mostly. A lingering headache was nothing compared to what he had been feeling for what must have been weeks now. What had been building in his each day, each hour, it was so much less that it was almost enough in itself to make him open his eyes…

Smell? It smelled like his cell…but didn't. It was the same smell that comes from an overuse of disinfectant, but it also held other smells underneath it. Smells that weren't mold, weren't grime and rust.

Sounds? The sound of a lot of people just beyond the walls around him. The same as his cell, but they were different sounds. Not the sounds of rage and anger. Of crazed men and women held too long behind bars, in cages.

And finally, Duo let himself just feel. Let himself accept that tension he always held in his shoulders while he was wrapped in wires, tubes, and gauze. He hated prisons and hospitals with an equal passion, but the two felt completely different. He'd spent enough time in both to lean the differences.

Duo's heart finally picked up speed against his will, hope springing to life inside him against his better judgment. He took a breath and let it out slowly, steeling himself, just in case…and opened his eyes…


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I'm not making any money here!!! PLZ don't sue, you'll only get pillows and a bunch of red polo's!

And now, what you've been waiting for! Sorry it took so long, some things came up, some things I couldn't put aside long enough to finish this. It happens.

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 7: Steal

Duo stared up at the ceiling. It was dark, there were lights on just beyond his vision so that he could see the ceiling and the top of the IV bag, but there was also a light over him that was off. It looked kind of eerie. Duo stared at the dark light and IV bag for a while, just staring at them, assuring himself that they were actually there while simultaneously waiting for them to disappear and his cell to reappear around him.

He was so used to hallucinations and false hope that the truth seemed so false to him, everything looked less real than it should have. He kept looking around for the little things that always clued him into reality, and he kept imagining that he saw them. Until he looked directly at the line between ceiling tiles, the little pull cord for the light, the way the light played in the IV bag.

Duo waited for it all to fade around him, and when it didn't he began to twitch, to test his body slowly so see how far he could move, began to try and find more. He found that it hurt no matter what he did, but the hurt varied in degree depending on what he moved. His neck protested loudly, as did his back, but his arms and hands were ready and willing.

Duo actually had a passing thought that he should be grateful to Aykan for keeping him in top physical condition, for allowing him exercise and some semblance of his former training. But the thought was brief and followed by a fresh bout of loathing that fueled Duo to try and move some more.

It was the sides on his bed that really clued him into what was turning out to not be a delusion. He found the controls for his bed on the rails, and a call button. It looked just like he remembered it. He started his bed to raise him up to a sitting position and found a window, a small bathroom and…

Duo let the bed stop, let his hands fall to his sides and stared, open mouthed and wide eyed at Wu Fei, Trowa Quatre and…

His heart rate jumped so quickly that Duo was surprised that he didn't set off some kind of alarm on his heart monitor. Duo found his breathing coming in short gasps and the throbbing in his brain quickened and pounded to this sudden change in his body.

Heero looked just as he'd left him. Just as he had that day that Duo had walked out the door with a casual wave over his shoulder. Just as he had when Duo had stolen one last glance at him in the reflection of the glass around the door…

Heero still struck him, and it wasn't just that he was handsome either, it was his mere presence, even asleep as he was now. As they all were. Heero exuded something that called attention to him, that felt of danger and power. It was like watching a caged cat, something that looked tame, that seemed safe but in reality was only inches away from ending you.

Duo swallowed hard and tore his eyes away from Heero, allowing his mind to absorb his presence and try and move on. He looked to Wu Fei, to Quatre and Trowa, letting his gaze memorize how they looked.

How Quatre's head rested on Trowa's shoulder and his hair fell across his face, curling and the brightest thing in the room. How Trowa looked the part of the gentle giant. Sloping from his chair with legs and arms sprawled, but gracefully. How even in sleep, Wu Fei still maintained his superior Zen state. His arms and legs folded neatly, his chin tilted to one side, his hair slicked back elegantly.

Duo flinched at nothing, missing his music, missing the constant that usually relaxed him. Music had been the only thing that had allowed Duo to remain sane, had pulled at something inside of him, keeping it safe and untouchable. Aykan had allowed the music, but only when Duo was in his cell. Everywhere else it was banned.

It was another little thing that clued Duo into the fact that he really was in this hospital. He would have heard his music by now. Aykan had allowed it after figuring out that it could be used as a reward system in getting Duo to do what he wanted and that it helped Duo relax from what he had that was normal for Duo. To be in a constant state of stress and anxiety.

But now, without it, the tension in Duo built and the panic started. The urge to move, to leave, to escape grew in him and started to blur his mind. Duo started to have wild thoughts. Thoughts he knew weren't based anywhere in logic and all in panic. Fight of Flight began to duke it out in his mind, information flying through his brain.

Duo quickly disabled his heart monitor and began taking the IV's out of his arms. He let them fall away and tested his legs. They still moved at his will and he ever so quietly began to shift towards the edge of his bed. He tried not to get too much blood on the covers, but knew it was already a lost battle, he'd just have to wait for the little puncture wounds on his arms left by the IVs to close up on their own.

The floor was cold and sent shivers up Duo's spine, a very old, very timid part of him sprung back to life after being dead for so long. He suddenly wanted nothing more than to lie back down, curl up under the warm covers and let everything fall back on someone else's shoulders. He had rarely, if ever, had this feeling. It was hard for him to hand the reigns over to someone else, but he had done it before.

But the only ones he had ever trusted with the reigns besides himself were sitting right here. It was such a temptation that he ached and that scared him into moving again more than anything else.

Duo knew he would have the most trouble getting by Heero, he'd always had. He already knew he could get past the others easily without them even stirring in their sleep, he'd done it often enough before. But he'd only successfully crept by Heero a few times. The man was the definition of 'hair trigger'.

Duo took a deep breath and held it and began to glide his footsteps past Heero just a hairs breath above the floor. He stayed balanced on the balls of his feet using the soft pads to keep from making any sound. He moved with the slight sway of his hospital gown to keep the fabric from brushing against his skin and avoided the edge of his bed and the edge of Heero's foot at the same time.

He let the breath out ever so slowly as he inched past Wu Fei a little quicker and took in a new breath as he let his heels touch the floor while he walked past Trowa and Quatre. Duo was there, he could find cloths somewhere, trick the nurses he passed easily, could walk out the door and not have to worry about confrontation, discussions, meltdowns, breakdowns, conflicts, arguments, raised voices, embarrassment, and everything else that would snowball on him if his comrades woke just now.

He would have made it too; he would have walked out the door and avoided the whole thing. Would have disappeared on the last people he'd thought he'd ever do that to. Would have let everything stay just the way it was hanging in that moment if he hadn't turned as he passed the open door of the bathroom.

The light outside the window proved it to be very early in the morning, when the sky was going from pale grey to palest pink. It was just enough light for Duo to see his reflection in the mirror that stared back out at him from the open door.

The bathroom was pitch black but for that mirror, the room around him was barely lit, the effect it had made Duo stumbled, but what he saw in that mirror sent him right back into shock.

He stood there, not caring how much sound his ragged breathing was making as he took shallow breaths that continued to grow quicker by the second. He stood stock still, not taking a step forward or back, just staring back at himself with his hair falling around his shoulders, but it only reached to his shoulder blades in tatters.

Duo heard a sound escape his mouth, a kind of cry that was guttural and high at the same time. Strangled coming out of his mouth, his throat closing around it even as it escaped. He reached out to the mirror, touched nothing, and brought his shaking hand back to his body and started to reach up for a strand that fell forward.

His hand shook viciously and he found he couldn't touch his hair. The sound came again, louder, but Duo didn't notice. He fell forward to his knees, sinking further down with his knees turning out from him. He reached up with both hands, shaking now from head to foot, shivering and feeling the sudden loss as a physical pain that he couldn't really explain other than to let the sound out without trying to choke it back down.

Duo grabbed fistfuls of his hair on both sides of his face, two lovely, sad faces staring down at him, crying for him, allowing him to cry. Two faces he could just barely remember, two faces he'd let die, stopped them from smiling.

Duo heard the scream start in his throat, heard it fighting to get out, heard it building up, but something still held it back, something still wouldn't let him have that moment where he could let all that was in him out. Something in him wouldn't allow that kind of weakness in public wouldn't let him mourn while he was trying to escape.

Heero came awake violently, a sound spitting the air around him and causing a forceful wave of anger, protectiveness and need crash through him. The first thing he saw was Duo, awake, out of bed, on the floor, pulling at what was left of his hair as a sound fought to get out of him. A sound Heero had never heard come out of Duo, one that never should. Something that was pure agony, pure pain.

He was shaking viciously, visibly shaking all down his back, his hands, his shoulders. Heero had a moment to wonder how Duo had gotten so far past him, and then he was up out of his chair and running for Duo.

He could distantly hear Wu Fei, Trowa and Quatre coming awake, could hear voices explaining his thoughts to each other out loud, but he didn't have time for that, he needed to get to Duo.

Pure instinct took over, need on a level Heero had only ever secretly accepted that he held in himself. Need for another man, to keep him safe, warm, happy if only he could bring him back. But Duo was there now, on the floor, leaning back into his arms as he gathered Duo to his chest and held him tightly. Holding on for both of them, holding Duo as he screamed.

Duo felt the arms around him, strong, sure, so suddenly. It was like another shock, but of a different kind. Instead of adding to the force building inside him, it broke through everything and held him tight and safe.

Duo let his tears fall, let his scream become real, let the arms hold him and keep him there on earth, keep him real. Duo accepted the comfort they were offering, if only for now. He handed over the reigns to those familiar arms, amazed at this sudden touch he'd longed for so long even as he allowed his grief to consume him. It was ok, just right then, to cry for the loss. To mourn and be vulnerable in front of so many people.

Because he knew these arms, this man, would take care of it all, would watch his back through this. Heero would.

Duo turned at that point, the arms letting him, urging him to. And Duo flung himself at Heero, screaming into his shoulder and allowing his rage to join his grief. The pain doubled, tripled, leapt through him at alarming rates, but Duo just held on to Heero, willing this to be real, for his mind to know the truth, even in all the pain it wrought on him.

This was real. Even in his hallucinations Heero had never been this warm, this firm, had never smelled of soap, gun oil and flesh. After all his waiting, after he'd given up, after he'd accepted death, he was finally in Heero's arms.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I'm not making any money here!!! PLZ don't sue, you'll only get pillows and a bunch of red polo's!

I still have to do damage control on Locked Doors, but I figured I'd put out a chapter for you anyway! I'm easily distracted like that!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 8: Loss

Duo could faintly hear voices, and even as he willed them to go away, to leave him alone, they grew stronger and recognizable. He clutched at Heero, tears silent now and shaking more from cold now than shock. Duo rubbed his face back and forth in the front of Heero's shirt, a sort of silent resolution to be left alone, to stay right where he was, even if no one was really talking to him right at that moment. It was more like the talk was all over his head, all about him, even though he was right there.

It wasn't until a low rumble in Heero's chest that meant he was answering the voices, that Duo tuned in.

"We need to get him off the floor Heero, he's cold and the doctor won't be turned away next time." A voice warned Heero and Duo wondered why whoever was speaking was taking that tone with Heero. It was a foolish thing to do; Duo knew that all too well.

"Shut up Quatre." Was Heero's only answer and it almost brought a smile to Duo's lips, if he could just remember how…

"Heero, please my friend, let us get him back…" Wu Fei's voice, Duo turned his face away from the blissful darkness that was Heero's neck and chest to allow his anger to show and glare at the other pilots standing over them.

"Duo?" Trowa kneeled next to them and Duo followed him with his eyes, trying to convey without moving or speaking just how upset he was that they were trying to stop the only thing that was holding him together right now.

But then Heero moved, and Duo knew he was trying to see his face and for that Duo eased up a little so that he could suddenly look back into those Cobalt eyes. The surprise was there for both of them, as well as a certain amount of anxiety.

"Duo?" Heero's voice was clear now that Duo wasn't pressed so tightly to him anymore. Duo raised his eyebrows in response, still nervous about trying to put together a sentence. But of course, Heero seemed to understand, as he always had. "Are you ok now? Can I put you on the bed, you're cold."

Duo thought about leaving Heero's arms, about being back on the hospital bed and probably reattached to the IVs. It wasn't very appealing, but neither was this cold creeping closer and closer to his bones. And once it was there it would be a very long time before he was ever completely warm again.

Since Heero showed no signs of leaving Duo nodded and bowed his head down, admitting defeat. His escape foiled by his own incapability.

He was just preparing to stand when he found himself suddenly lifted off the floor and carried towards the bed in Heero's arms. It was enough to finally surprise words from him.

"Hey, I can…" Duo chocked on the words as his throat protested being taken off its vacation while he'd been unconscious.

Quatre was instantly there with a little plastic cup with a bendy straw that turned out to hold water. Duo sipped as Heero took over tucking him into the hospital bed. Duo loathed the skimpy covers and their lack of heat even when tucked tightly around him by Heero, he longed for something warmer, though he could barely remember what it was like to have a quilt to curl under.

"Thank you." Duo was please that his voice came back easily and he cleared his throat for good measure.

"Duo…" Quatre was standing on one side of the bed with Heero on the other and Wu Fei and Trowa lingering at the foot.

"Hm?" Duo asked, looking back and forth between concerned faces, wasn't he allowed to breakdown even once without getting grief over it!?

"Duo, your hand." The moment Heero said it Duo realized he'd been running his hand through what was left of his hair ever since the voices of the other pilots had become clear.

"Sorry…" Duo muttered and ducked his head again, a frown nesting itself between his eyebrows.

Duo was surprised when Heero's hand came into his line of vision and collected his own. The warmth there was more than he was getting from the flimsy sheets on his bed so he allowed himself that comfort he normally would have turned away. While at the same time assuring himself that it had nothing to do with the fact that it was Heero's hand and not someone else's.

"You do realize they're going to have to put all the needles back in." Trowa's smirk was evident in his voice and Duo couldn't help it as a twin smirk appeared on his own face.

"Don't you just love hospitals." Duo let the sarcasm drip from his words, liking the reassuring squeeze he got from Heero. The touch of someone else that wasn't a punch, a kick, or an alcohol swab was almost overwhelming, but Duo couldn't bring himself to try and rest and risk the loss of that touch.

Duo didn't notice the awkward silence until he looked up again when no one spoke right away. The looks that passed between everyone else in the room made his shoulders tense up, and he waited for the other shoe to drop.

"Duo, about your hair…" Wu Fei started and Duo commended his bravery silently before cutting him off.

"It's ok, I remember now. It just…I was just…" Duo tried not to let the words stick, but he kept coming up short. "The length is a little s-shocking." Duo almost lost control of the sob and might have lost it again if Heero hadn't suddenly squeezed his hand and drawn his attention. The look on Heero face as if all he wanted to do was crawl into the bed with Duo and hold him again while at the same time hurting someone for this. It let Duo pull his fraying edges together again and take deep breaths until the sob threatening escape was secured again.

That was when the doctor came back with two nurses and found them all poised over Duo, without wires or IV's. He started to order everyone to leave, but the looks he got back made him rethink his orders to the form of a question for everyone but Heero to leave for a bit.

The nurses ended up working around Heero to get the heart monitor reattached and the IV's back under Duo's skin. Duo flinched and shied away from the foreign touches, clutching at Heero's hand in a way that had pilot 01 scaring the nurses with his glare. The two skirted out of the room as soon as they were done and left the doctor to finish.

He explained that they would be keeping Duo for a time for observation and that Heero was allowed to stay past visiting hours but that everyone else would have to concede to the preset times. Duo also got a short lecture on trying to leave the hospital and Heero was the one to reassure the doctor that it wouldn't be happening again.

Duo ducked his head as the doctor left and waiting for Heero to say something, he could feel the tension rolling off Heero, even as he held on to his hand, never wavering that comfort. He didn't have to wait long.

"You were really going to leave, weren't you?" Heero's voice was so sad that Duo jerked his head up and was rewarded with a near blinding pain in his neck. He hissed and let Heero help lower him back while he thought out his answer.

"Yeah, I was." Duo finally fell back on the truth, Heero deserved that.

"Why?" Duo felt pain at that one question that wasn't from Aykan's stupid experiment.

"I…don't really know…" Duo admitted, his mind had lost that train of thought that had reasoned his leaving as logical. At the time it had made so much sense just to stay dead to them. Weren't they happier without him, Aykan had said he'd gotten messages from Peacecraft telling him how much he wasn't missed, how easy it was to pass off his abduction as death.

"I can't lose you again." Duo almost hadn't heard the admission from Heero; he'd barely caught it because there were no other noises to interfere.

"Heero?" Duo wanted to ask something, something he'd been building up to before his 'death', something that he was sure had been growing between them…something that had almost been tangible that morning he'd left for work… But just then the words wouldn't come, he couldn't bring himself to ask and find something else in its place.

Heero was waiting, expectantly, perched on the edge of a chair pulled up next to the hospital bed, staring at him with what might be tears in the corners of his eyes.

Duo swallowed hard and pushed the question back, pulling another one out instead. "Is Aykan…is he…"

"Dead." Heero's eyes went darker blue and Duo knew Heero had been the one to do it with that one look.

Duo nodded, pain making the movement slow and jerky. Duo flinched and lay as still as he could. But when he did that exhaustion played around the edges of his brain. He'd been so awake only moment ago, had been ready to run; no he wasn't sure how his eyes were staying open.

"Sleep?" It was a question of what Duo wanted and what Duo needed, Heero asked with one word. Duo fought to stay awake, to keep his eyes on Heero, to stay where everything was real and what he'd always secretly whished for, but it was a losing battle that he finally had to admit to.

Duo nodded with a small murmur and let himself slip away, telling his body with one last thought that he was not letting Heero's hand go and his muscles locked for him as he feel asleep. He was determined to wake up with Heero still there, it was the only way he'd know that this was real, that he wouldn't wake up back…there.

Heero pulled the chair closer to the bed under him and settled down for a long day, he wasn't going to leave Duo alone, nor was Duo about to let him go either, so he just sat and waited for the others to come back.

Quatre's tentative knock came and Heero kept his voice low, telling them to come in. They all gathered on one side of the bed around Heero, speaking almost in a whisper. And though eyes kept drifting over to Duo, assuring them he was there, scrutinizing over his diminished form and his weakened state, they concentrated on the new task at hand.

"We have to leave, we'll be back later this evening, before visiting hours are over, but we had a lot of work to do." Quatre explained. Heero nodded, knowing exactly what task lay before them now.

Trowa smiled and made Heero raise an eyebrow as Wu Fei said a quiet goodbye and left ahead of the couple. Quatre smiled, ready to say goodbye but also fit to burst with his first bit of news.

"We've already frozen her accounts and hacked all her computers." Quatre smiled, showing all teeth and intent. Heero was sure they'd gotten this done only in the short time the doctor had them leave. "She's gonna be pissed."

Heero nodded, his face grim, and said goodbye to Quatre and Trowa, leaving the task to them and Wu Fei until he could get Duo safely out of here. Then he was going after the woman himself!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I'm not making any money here!!! Is there a deffinition for fanfic in the dictionary?

Here we go, chapter nine! Once again, I am amazed with how quickly reviews are sent in, I'm writing faster than I can think up plot! But I stick with my original statement. 10 reviews another chapter! Bear with me though , most of these chapters are now partially written while I'm at work. Kind of an odd thing to do when you work at a snack bar for Target...

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 9: Anger

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'NO MONEY'?!!" Relena screamed.

"Please don't scream Miss Relena, We're trying to fix it right now, but the computers all seem to be down and our calls still aren't getting thorough." The secretary looked positively disheveled, but it was lost on Relena who was fit to start pulling out her hair. It wasn't supposed to be like this! If she could just get a hold of Heero, just talk to him, she was sure…

Relena's eyes whipped over to the front doors where a group of five people where leaving with boxes in their arms and angry expressions on their faces.

"Where are you going?" Relena tried not to yell, tried to sound diminutive and confused. She was surprised when she only got glares back. She hadn't been rude to them at all, in fact she was sure she hadn't seen any of them since that morning when she'd walked in and greeted everyone, like she did every morning.

"We Quit." A woman, Allison Dears, sneered at her. Relena stared open mouth as they walked out, personal belonging and probably a good amount of office supplies packed into their boxes.

"Bitch!" Was thrown at her by Brandon Raiser over his shoulder just as the door closed.

"What's Going On!?" Relena demanded, turning back on her secretary.

The flustered woman ran off with a muttered, "I'll find out Miss!"

Relena seethed in anger and actually stomped her foot before turning and going back into her office to try her own computer again.

Quatre smiled at his own computer screen in satisfaction before shutting off the live feed and opening another e-mail to send to more of her staff.

Duo woke, but didn't open his eyes. He needed a chance to think before he was bombarded again. He could still feel Heero's hand in his own, warm, calloused and bigger than his. Duo knew these hands too well to mistake them for someone else's. It was more reassuring then if he'd opened his eyes and found the hospital room rather than his cell.

He just needed to think, just for a few minutes. Sleep was good, he felt better each time he woke and the doctor kept waking him to check on him and ask him questions. The only two things that really bothered him were his lack of music which kept his level of anxiety up and his lack of…the absence of his…

Duo's hand jerked, wanting to touch his hair. He kept touching it, checking to see if it really was gone. As if one time he might reach up and it wouldn't be true. Maybe one time he'd reach up and his braid would still be there. Still woven just as Sister Helen had showed him, still swinging ready to be playfully tugged by Father Maxwell when he forgot something.

Still as long as it had been when he'd run the streets with Solo and the other orphans.

Duo heard the heart monitor speeding up again, not that it was ever going to get down to normal levels while he was without music, and knew that there was no pretending anymore.

He opened his eyes as Heero squeezed his hand and started to get up out of his chair. Duo shook his head a little, still wary about the action since it still brought him pain, and muttered, "No, I'm ok."

His voice was gravely and Heero fetched his little cup and straw from a side table and helped him sip some water. Duo gave him a small smile in thanks and stared up at the ceiling.

"You're not." Heero said, drawing Duo's eyes back to him.

"Huh?" Duo asked articulately.

"You're not ok." Heero clarified. "You nearly died, you're still in pain." Heero seemed to wilt around the edges and Duo squeezed his hand tightly, trying to find a way to say what he was feeling without it sounding completely ridiculous.

"It's not that Heero, I can handle a little pain. Hell, I can handle a lot of pain; have been for a long time now." Heero flinched and asked a question with his eyes at the same time, an amazing accomplishment Duo thought. "Its…its…"

Duo couldn't believe he was actually choking up again, was it Heero's presence? Or was it that he was finally free and that meant that everything he'd been holding back was free to come out as well?

"Duo…?" Heero leaned closer, his eyes going soft with concern and Duo felt even more foolish as he finally stuttered out, "M-my h-h-hair."

For a second Heero's eyes widened in confusion and Duo was sure he'd implode as the blood rushed to his face even as his tears gave way again and he grew dizzy from the sudden shift inside his body.

"I k-know how it sounds." Duo gasped between sobs, "I know it's stupid."

Heero shoved the side bars of Duo's bed down and practically climbed into bed with him as he gathered as much of Duo against him as he could, "It's not stupid Duo! It's not!"

"It's just that…" Duo didn't seem to hear Heero, just plowed on. "Sister and Father and…and…Solo…" The words wouldn't come, he couldn't explain to Heero why this meant so much, why it hurt so much that his braid was gone.

Heero muttered comforting words against Duo's forehead as he rocked him gently and Duo fisted his hands into Heero's cloths and held on while his sobs shook his body. They meant nothing, but there mere sound of Heero's voice was comfort enough that Duo eventually regained control.

He started to pull away, but didn't try to hard when Heero kept a hold of him. "I know…I know hair grows and that eventually I'll…but, I haven't cut my hair since…"

Heero nodded against him and Duo was surprised to find that he actually was sure that Heero understood. That he got it, that he well and truly knew everything Duo had been trying to say to him.

"I'm sorry. I know it's not enough," Heero's voice was only slightly muffled by Duo's hair, "But it's all I can offer." _At least for now_, Heero silently promised.

"I know Heero." Duo couldn't think of anything else to say. Every thing was rushing back to him, what they'd almost had before that day, what he'd heard from Aykan about his funeral and the events that had followed; his anger and despair as well as his love and yearning. He loved Heero, so much, loved him now as he had then, maybe more. But a large part of him wasn't ready to offer forgiveness to anyone, not just yet. He whished he could, whished he could just forget everything and fall back into Heero's arms as if the last four and a half years had never happened. But they had, and nothing was going to fix what he'd undergone. What had been done to him. What had been done to all of them.

That brought his thoughts around to the prison for the first time since he'd woken to find everyone asleep in his room. He jerked back from Heero, making the other man let him go and look at him.

"Aykan's dead, but what about everyone else? The guards, the inmates?" Duo demanded, faces springing to mind of the few men and women he'd gotten along with. Of the guards that had helped sedate him, broken up fights brutally, kicked him unnecessarily, and the few other 'events' that hadn't been uncommon during the war with POWs.

Duo shivered but never took his eyes off Heero, watching Heero's eyes for something, anything that might give him a clue as to what was going on outside this room while he lay here, recovering.

"Wu Fei and Une are taking care of things." Heero almost seemed ready to pass that off as his only answer, but then his arms sagged in defeat. "The guards are being kept in a spare bunker while Une sorts through the files for the inmates first. Wu Fei is leading a team of trusted agents, helping her." _And looking for proof. There has to be a paper trail, something linking all this to her, there always is!_

"Oh, ok." Duo relaxed a little, he could feel sleep creeping up on him again. He hated this, the way he was so awake one minute and so tired the next! He was so ready to be gone from here! He didn't even care that he really had no where to go home to, just to be out of a hospital! He'd been in one for the last four and a half years, and what were hospitals but another kind of prison!?

"Tell Une that if she needs any help with information on the other inmates, I got to interact with them on a regular basis. I remember a lot of them." Duo knew he wouldn't be turned out on the streets though, especially not now. Never mind that he was probably going to be offered a place with Heero, Quatre, Trowa and Wu Fei, there was no way Une would just let him walk away from something like this.

"I will." Heero promised him. "I'll give Wu Fei a call later."

Duo nodded, just a little one, and settled back again to doze. He didn't want to dream, not just now. Maybe just a nap till the nurse came with his lunch. Heero's hand was still solid and warm in his own.

He vaguely wondered if everything Aykan had said was true while his mind started to go fuzzy. If even half of what Aykan had told him was true than he was going to have to talk with all of them, soon. Just as soon as he got out of this hospital.

As Duo drifted off he comforted himself with thoughts that he'd jerked away from Aykan enough to keep a good amount of his hair away from the lunatic's scissors. It wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Heero held tightly to Duo, pain thrumming through his chest again. Quatre kept sending him updates on his cell phone; apparently he'd already gotten a good deal of that woman's staff to quit. Not to mention he'd actually cut power to most of the building now while he sorted through that woman's computer files at his leisure.

Heero didn't know what Trowa was doing, but Quatre told him not to worry and Heero had to leave him to it. Right now this was his place. But he did have a few ideas for Quatre until he could join them. He pulled out his cell phone, careful to avoid the eye of the watchful nurses and started sending messages to first Quatre and then Wu Fei.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I find myself often wondering what the actual owners of Gundam Wing think of our fics….since clearly I don't own it or I'd have already released more episodes!!!

Ok, ten reviews snuck up on me! (Thank You By the Way!!!) My roommate recently bought that seasons thingy for the Sims (total fanatic) and, since there is only one computer, he had been boggarting it ever since!!!! Damn boi and his games…. So yeah, I finally had to wait till he ran off to work and I got home after and NINE HOUR SHIFT…and got to sit here…on ONE HOUR OF SLEEP!!!!...and type the next chapter. Enjoy! twitchtwitch

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 10: Anxiety

"Got them." Trowa told Quatre over the secure line they'd set up. "I got them all, but believe me, it wasn't easy. Looks like she didn't want these to be found. Ever."

"Well, we know why now." Quatre was fooling around in Relena's data now that he had full access and she had none. He'd periodically delete whole files while searching for something that linked her to Aykan. "Got both copies right?"

"Hard and soft." Trowa confirmed looking down at the files and jump drive in his hands. "I'm headed back now. Love you."

"I love you." Quatre replied and hung up. He continued trashing more and more files. "Don't need that, don't need that either, hmm…" Quatre ran across more encrypted files. Luckily he'd already talked to Wu Fei and Heero who'd done all of it in the first place. He quickly ran through all the security and found…

"Well, well, well Miss Peacecraft, terminations and transportations in the same folder? Aren't we rather full of ourselves!" The fact that Relena kept the two together spoke of how sure she was that no one could hack her system. Too bad for her that the very people she had create the security for her system were the very ones who were tearing it down now.

"Follow the trail." Quatre whispered to his computer screen.

Duo waited patiently now, hands running unconsciously through his hair. Heero had gone on one of his rare trips to the hospital cafeteria while Duo had dozed after his lunch. His tray hadn't been taken yet which meant now was probably his only chance.

Duo heard Maureen, Moe, in the next room; She was just about the sweetest woman he'd ever met. In her late forties she called everyone 'baby', had two grown up children that she talked about every chance she got, and had instantly succumbed to Duo's charm. That is, when he'd been awake and well enough to put it on.

Now that was about to pay off! Moe walked in to collect his tray. "Hi Baby!" She said, her voice was high, but not unpleasant, it suited her just right with her short brown hair, her dangly earrings and her pleasant disposition about everything. Well, with the exception of her bosses which was the only cause she had to curse which always surprised Duo when they popped out of her mouth. "You're looking great today, how are you feeling!?"

Duo gave her a big smile, trying not to let it wilt at the edges. "A lot better, just wishing I had a radio."

"Oh yeah? You like music?" Moe placed his tray on her cart, which was just as big as she was.

"I love it. Is there some rule against listening to anything but soap operas and sports in this hospital or something, because that's all I've heard sine I got here." Duo grinned and Moe laughed.

"Oh I know, I'm getting so tired of Kim and Jenny sleeping with Drake and then finding out they're all related." Moe laughed and Duo couldn't help the surprise laugh that jumped out of his mouth. So far she'd been the only one who could get that out of him, and it'd only been maybe twice before this. She was just so refreshing. She didn't want anything from him except small talk, and he hated to admit what a relief that was, but everyone else seemed to be silently demanding for him to spit out his soul.

"You know what?" Moe came in close, secretly, even if she was talking too loud for it to be anything close to a secret.

"What?" Duo asked, conspiratorially with her.

"There's an old radio in the room where we put these carts. I can bring it to you." Moe smiled at him and Duo felt relief flood through him, and gratefulness, a lot of that!

"Really?" Duo sagged back into his pillows.

"Well sure baby! Heaven forbid you should have to overhear all these sordid love affairs and have none of your own!" Duo snorted and she patted him on the shoulder. "I'll be back just as soon as I collect the last of the lunch trays, ok baby?"

Duo thanked her again and hoped she'd be back before Heero.

She wasn't but luckily for him Heero got some message from Quatre that was apparently urgent because he excused himself in quite a hurry and promised not to be gone long as he halfway out into the hallway.

Moe came back with the radio soon after Heero had left and handed it over to him. It was small, a speaker and two dials. One for station one for sound. The little station indicator was a circle around the top dial and the sound also doubled for an on/off switch. There was a small loop of nylon that was just big enough to fit around someone's wrist, Duo tried it out and found that Moe had also tracked down some batteries, or bought them from the gift shop, and it was working just fine.

"Thank You Moe!" Duo could already feel the tension leaving his back as the small note of a song drifted out of the tiny speaker.

"You're welcome Baby. Just don't let the doctor find it, they'll take it away from you." Moe winked.

"Don't worry, watch…" Duo put it under his blanket near the speaker for his TV and turned it on with the volume for the TV turned all the way down. "See, it's like the sound is coming from the TV, but it's so low, no one can tell the difference."

"But you!" Moe smiled big, "Oh, that's cleaver! Well, there ya go!" Moe gripped his shoulder and squeezed. He liked that feeling, and he liked the radio even more, but still, Heero would be back soon…

"Well my shifts over now, I'll see you tomorrow baby." Moe waved once more at the door and left. Duo caught himself still waving after she'd gone from sight and quickly tucked his hand down under his covers. He listened to the small voices singing to him. He needed a better station before some commercials came on; those just jacked his heart rate right back up. Duo flipped all the way down to the FM eight's and found a classical station. He'd come to appreciate it for its long songs and short commercial time. Not to mention there was a certain relief in not having to hear lyrics and automatically try and interpret them.

Duo nestled down till the flimsy covers were up to his chin providing the optimal amount of warmth they were capable of giving and listened. His heart monitor had already slowed, and it went even lower as he began to drift on the music. He had a machine that clicked on every once in a while and printed out wavy lines that were supposed to be his brain activity, that showed him finally calming down as well.

Duo was pleasantly dozing, restfully, when Heero came back. He walked quietly into the room and instantly noted the change in machines around Duo though he said nothing. He took his seat again saw that the TV was on. It was the first time Duo had turned it one since he'd been here. Maybe he was getting bored. Heero could remember a hospital incident that had involved Wu Fei, Duo and a broken TV remote.

Heero smiled at the memory and sat back, waiting for Duo to fall asleep. He didn't have to wait long; with the music going Duo's mind settled back into an old routine and had already begun to wind down enough to let him enter REM sleep.

Heero was reassured then Duo's breathing evened out and his eyes began to flick gently back and forth under his eyelids in dream. He reached over and turned off the TV and then the lights so that the only light they had was from the thin beams that were sneaking in past the window blinds. But when he got back to his chair to settle down for his own nap he found that there was still sound coming from somewhere.

He was sure it had been the TV that had been making the constant drone from near Duo. He leaned over and listened, the sound was deffinently coming from Duo, but from where exactly. The speakers near his bed were dead silent and the music was muffled.

Heero moved Duo's pillow ever so slightly, nothing. He moved the bed covers and found a little radio next to Duo's chest, up near his shoulders. Heero frowned in confusion and reached out to move it and turn it off so Duo could get some rest, he'd ask Duo when he woke up later where it had come from. But the moment he moved it Duo woke, eyes flashing open, had shooting out to catch Heero's wrist and he actually yelled, "NO!!!"

Heero froze, Duo froze, surprise on Heero's face and anger on Duo's. It was the first time Duo had displayed anger or hostility since waking and realizing he wasn't in the prison anymore.

Duo was breathing hard, the instant reaction and panic had made his heart leap so that he was right back up to where he'd been and his 'brain machine' was going berserk now. Duo's eyes seemed to fade back in on themselves and it was like he blinked and saw that it was Heero holding the other half of the radio and not someone else. But he didn't let go.

Heero did. He gently let the radio slip from his fingers and Duo took it back and tucked it under his covers again, turning on the TV silently to account for the constant sound. Now he wasn't looking at Heero, a kind of defensive air settling around him and Heero couldn't work it out.

"Where did you get that?" Heero finally opted for a first question.

"A friend brought it for me." Duo stated cryptically.

"Quatre?" Heero asked, raising an eyebrow, Wu Fei and Trowa were too far away to have brought it just today and actually, he was sure Quatre was too. He'd just talked to the blonde who was still conducting their secret mission from his home office.

"None of your beeswax." The words fell right out of Duo's mouth from when he'd heard Moe use them just the day before.

Heero blinked. Once…twice…three times. Duo couldn't think of anything to say, so he opted to stay silent. Heero thought of many things to say, but dismissed most of them knowing that Duo would respond as if he were being threatened.

"It's pretty old…" Heero couldn't let that one go; most music devices now were sleek and small with headphones instead of speakers.

"It works." Duo answered defensively, settling his hand over it protectively.

"I'm not…" Heero sighed, "I don't understand why it's so important." Heero finally admitted, Duo hadn't really reacted to anything else so strongly, it didn't make sense to him.

"It…it's not the radio…" Duo really didn't want to admit anything, but he wasn't going to sit there in silence, his heart racing and his back tense if he had a radio right there, easy access to music.

"What is it then?" Heero asked, willing his face to remain understanding long enough for Duo to get this out.

"It's…the music." Duo let out with a breath, almost a sigh, but not quite. "it…it helps, ya know?" Heero frowned, lines forming between his eyebrows that Duo didn't remember being so deep.

"Aykan…" Heero frowned harder at the mention of the mad mans name, but Duo kept going, "He used to play music for me, in my cell, afterward. It was the only way I could relax. I didn't have to hear anything else around me."

Heero noticed that Duo's heartbeat wasn't as high as it had been only moments before, ever since he'd woken up. His blood pressure was finally within normal range and he didn't look so anxious anymore either.

"The music…helps?" Heero tried it out, out loud and in his mind. Duo nodded, watching Heero for some sign of understanding. He finally nodded with a small smile to Duo and said, "If it helps then I'll bring you something better tomorrow. Something without commercials every half hour?"

Duo's face lit up and Heero was amazed at what such a small promise could win him, could inspire in Duo. "Do you have any favorite…um…bands?" Heero asked, remembering some of Duo's more crass selections during the war.

"Can I write you a list?" Duo asked, a little shyly, but hopeful.

"I'll try my best." Heero promised. "But write it for me later, ok?" Heero asked, wary to see if this music deal really did work out, if Duo could get more decent sleep with the music than without.

Duo smirked, knowing exactly what was running through Heero's mind. He swept his hair back, a gesture he was finding annoying but necessary now, and lay down. Heero watched as Duo first watched him back, then started to fade and was then fully asleep within minutes. It was shocking to watch, Heero hadn't ever seen Duo fall asleep that quickly, not since his rescue or even before it!

He was deffinently getting that device tomorrow! Heero ran a hand softly along the ends of Duo's hair and let the smell of Duo drift through the air overcoming the chemicals and sick smell of the hospital. He allowed it to lull him into his own dreams.

Meanwhile Relena wasn't getting any sleep, she'd lost three fourths of her staff now and was sure she was about to lose the last of them. She would pace then she would sit down and pull at her hair. She'd pace some more and then try her computer again.

Anxiety sang down her spine and ground her joints together. She ached all over and she was sure her pulse would burst from her neck any second from blood pressure. How she longed to go home and sleep, to forget it all and leave the next day for a well deserved vacation…

But she had to see Heero! She contemplated this while she slouched down in her desk chair, her hair trailing behind her and sticking up with the help of static cling. She had dark circles forming under her eyes form the lack of sleep and she desperately needed a shower.

If they had successfully gotten Maxwell away from Aykan in time, no doubt Heero would, he never failed… then he'd need to be taken to a hospital for treatment…

And, if they were keeping this quiet for now, which they obviously were from the lack of police breaking down her office door, than it'd have to be a hospital where they could treat him unquestioned!

Relena let a smile that was all teeth creep onto her face, completely unaware of the spectacularly horrific effect it had on her. She knew of only two places he could be. And where Maxwell was, her Heero would be.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I find myself often wondering what the actual owners of Gundam Wing think of our fics….since clearly I don't own it or I'd have already released more episodes!!!

So, I'm thinking I should probably stop writing around 5 am…. I can't tell if anything I'm doing is coming out right… LOL! Yeah… not to mention nearly ever chapter starts with the first page written while I'm at work, on top of the cookie oven, on the back of our order sheet… weird how this story is starting to write itself…

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 11: Forgotten

Relena had finally just ditched her office and gone home. It was quite obvious that there was nothing she could do against this invasion. She already had a plan, she just needed a good nights sleep before she carried it out.

So Relena got ready for bed and settled down for a nigh without Heero which had seldom happened at all till now. Still, she was able to comfort herself with the knowledge that he would soon be back and was able to drift off. She was sleeping rather peacefully for about an hour when her alarm was suddenly tripped, blaring throughout the house.

Relena sat bolt right up, her hands tightly over her ears as her personal guard came barreling into her room to surround her. Relena moaned in despair when one of them told her there was no sign of a break in and that they couldn't get the alarm shut off and to please stay put until they could asses the nature of this threat.

Quatre erupted into fits of laughter as he watched Relena and her remaining people try and get back into the houses mainframe to shut off the alarm. He shut down the three ports in the house they could have used and shut down his own system before going to bed, still giggling in bursts.

Relena was eventually moved to a hotel sometime in the early morning. She finally got a few hours of sleep before her cell phone alarm woke her up and then Relena went about making a few calls and getting dressed in a dark blue pants suit. She had a hard time convincing her guard to take the day off, but when a very, very large man with a buzz cut and a scar that ran across half his face came to pick her up they submitted and she rode away with her escort in a large black pickup, smiling.

Duo ate his breakfast and told the doctor how he was feeling. He let them take him for another MRI and answered questions about what he remembered from the war. Heero stayed with him, listening as Duo went over scars, broken bones, colonies, countries on Earth.

There was of course, some stuff he couldn't remember due to drugs or unconsciousness, some missing teeth, a scar on the back of his neck and a burn on the inside of his elbow. Several times Heero wanted to jump in, to ask his own questions, but each time he held himself back. Telling himself that this was neither the time or the place to be doing this. So while Duo talked with the doctor and napped the morning away since he was woken so early, Heero was plagued with the memory that Duo's body had been identified four and a half years ago with some teeth that were recovered from the…that were recovered from the crash.

Heero stared hard at the wall, saw it smoldering and falling to pieces in front of him, burning… Then he blinked at Duo's bright purple eyes were peeking out at him under half lidded eyes.

"What did you say?" Duo asked and Heero realized he'd probably been mumbling, that memory was still so vivid with him, he'd seen the car burning on the news later that night, but he'd seen the burned out wreck before that.

"N-nothing." Heero strove to wipe the memory away from him, the smell of the smoke lingering in his nostrils in the middle of a hospital clued him into the fact that he might need a little alone time. "I'm going to go and get you something from the electronics store down the street. It's not far; I'll be back in about an hour." Heero smiled for Duo, pulling out a pen and paper he'd grabbed from the nurses station earlier. He set them on the table that was used for Duo's meals and wheeled it around so that it hung over the bed and Duo's legs. "Why don't you make me a list of music I can find for you while I'm gone."

"Ok." Duo smiled and gave him a small wave as Heero left. Duo sighed and rolled his shoulders. Heero was tweaked about something; he could see it in the set of his shoulders. He'd watched Heero enough during the war, tested him out, to figure out the subtle hints that told him what Heero was thinking when he wouldn't say anything out loud.

Duo knew that Heero had changed since the war, at least now even if he was silent for a time, eventually he would work it out. Turned out that Heero now really liked to talk things out, Duo remembered that, before Aykan had ruled his life. Duo blew up at his bangs and took up the pen, set on writing Heero a list to take his mind off things. He set it to the paper, calling up one of his favorite songs, even knowing the name of the band that sang it and paused.

He tried again, calling up the title to his mind, remembering listening to it in the dark while lying on his back in his cell, loving the flowing melody and the lyrics that pulled at the heart. He started a down stroke with the pen and stopped again. Panic started to crawl up his throat form low in his stomach, but he gave a shot laugh and then tried again. And Again. And again?

"What the Hell!?" Duo demanded the empty room, holding the pen harder than necessary, but unwilling to put it down. He tried again and found an empty place that he'd always relied on unconsciously. He'd always done this without a second thought, scrawled and scribbled and doodled as he wrote, and now…nothing!

Duo threw the pen down and looked around, craning his neck to find the words written on the side of his IV bag and stared at them. Stared hard, making sure he was seeing it all quite clearly, and still…nothing! Duo ground his teeth together and growled, he would not panic. He could read just find, he could write, he was rather articulate when he wanted to be! So what the fuck was going on!?!

Duo stared at the words and found that they were just lines and curves. Duo was about to call for a nurse, his hand on the button when something else hit him. He remembered Aykan, he remembered before Aykan and his cell, he remembered the war and everything up till now when he'd woken in this hospital, but there was a big blank sitting right between after war and Aykan…

How _had_ he ended up under Aykan's knife!? Somehow he knew that he should know this. That he had known this answer not so long ago… but now, he couldn't bring anything forward to the front of his mind where he could look at it and know.

"Shit!" Duo cursed with feeling, he picked up the pen, stared at it, and threw it down again. "Shit!" He couldn't figure it out. He was seriously thinking about calling the nurse and getting her to call Heero back, Heero would know, when there was a knock on his door.

Duo looked up and a woman stood there, blue pants suite, blonde bangs hanging down into her eyes and a smile on her face. Duo stared at her; she was pretty and asked, "Who are you?"

The woman paused, staring at him, anger and confusing dancing across her face. "What?" She asked.

"Who are you? Are you looking for Heero, do you work with him?" Duo could only think of maybe two reasons this woman would be here since she really didn't look like a doctor or a nurse, "He's not here right now; he'll be back though if you want to wait."

"Oh," The woman's eyes lit up and then she looked at him again, confused and a bit angry. "…Thank you, I think I will."

Duo gestured to the chair Heero had been using. "Do you want to sit down?"

"Yes, thank you." The woman came over and sat next to him; pushing the chair back as she did so she wasn't quite so close to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Huh? Oh, much better, thanks." Duo smiled at her, he wondered what she did for Preventors; since she worked with Heero she was probably another agent. Was Heero taking time off to be here with him? The thought made Duo slightly angry, but kind of pleased at the same time which was just really confusing, so he chose to ignore it and she was asking him another question.

"Heero's been staying here with you? Watching over you?" Relena asked and Duo swore he saw her eye twitch. How weird.

"Uh, yeah. He's a good friend." Duo tried to smile and found it difficult, this woman was setting off some alarm in his head, but he couldn't figure out why. She just nodded at him and smiled sweetly.

"What's your name?" Duo asked, wondering why she hadn't introduced herself before now.

"It's Relena." The woman watched him closely while she said it, watching his reaction and Duo wondered if he'd met her before and felt guilt and more panic creeping up on him.

"Oh," He swallowed and decided to just out right ask her what she did and if they'd met, it was the quickest way to figure out if he'd actually lost more than he knew of now. "What do you-"

The woman suddenly cut him off, "So, you're dead."

"Huh!?" Duo's eyes flew wide.

"According to the law you died for and a half years ago. They buried you and everything." Relena told him. Duo flinched as something in his head pinched and pain flared right behind his eyes.

"Uh, I guess. Yeah, that's part of the reason I'm still here. They said they can't find my medical records." Duo felt a chill run down his spine at her eager smile that wasn't so pretty anymore. Buried him…!? Wait, what was there to bury?

"I see. And they rescued you from Aykan, stopping the disease he gave you from killing you…again." Relena was really giving him the creeps. How did she know all this!? Duo was sure that Heero, with Quatre's help, was keeping this all quiet till they could figure things out.

"Yeah." The word was pulled out long from his mouth, as if reluctant to leave.

"But technically you shouldn't be alive." Relena stood and glared down at him, all hint of a smile gone from her face. Technically wasn't she neither family nor really a friend, so who had let her in here!?

"Who are you!?" Duo demanded, not likening where this conversation was going. He reached out to press his call button and found her hand there, tearing it away from him. "Hey!" Duo glared up at her, she stared back at him with pure loathing.

"Too stupid to stay dead. L2 Trash! Whore! Thief!" Relena threw the words at him and the shrillness of her voice made pain shoot through his head again, a throbbing starting up. "How dare you come back here and try and take him back! He's not your little toy to pick up and throw away whenever you please!"

"What!? Wh-" And then he knew, she was here about Heero, but not for the reason he thought. Had Heero really forgotten him? Moved on and gotten himself a girlfriend? A fiancé? A Wife!?

"He is MINE!" the Relena woman screamed at him, "How dare you, you tried to take him before too! But I got rid of you, and guess what!? He fell right into my arms! They all did!! They forgot about you like you never existed at all! I just stepped in and filled your shoes, much better than you ever could! And they love me now, they love me more than they _ever_ loved you!!!"

Duo hissed as pain lanced through his skull and he leaned back into his pillow as far as he could as the woman bent over him and continued yelling.

"But you just didn't have enough sense to stay dead, did you!? Never did! Always came back, always came home, mission after mission, and you just let Heero dangle while you gallivanted around the Colonies! " Was she on drugs? Duo was having a hard time following her accusations, they were so erratic, "But it's ok now! I've come back to help you. I even brought the mercs who helped me the first time! They are dying to see you again! They talk about you all the time, about how much of a challenge it was to set up that crash. I haven't been giving them anything really exciting lately; they're dying for another turn at you. Had to make sure it was believable, lord knows those boys can be damn tenacious when they want to be!"

Duo saw something flash in the corner of his eye, something colorful, but when he turned there was nothing there. He tore his eyes back to the woman who sneered down at him. "But you know, I actually want to see you dead this time! No shipping you off to a nice safe prison!"

Another flare of color, a flash of an image that danced like a movie in front of his eyes.

"I don't think we need the mercs in here, Heero's grown too attached to you, I can see that now. I'll have to do it myself." The Woman snatched his pillow away and shoved it down over his face before Duo could even finish his, "What the Fuck!?"

More images taunted him, fire, Heero, metal, four men and one woman, faces, a punch, blood, kicking, a dead man, handcuffs…PEACECRAFT…Duo reeled as he reached out and pulled at Relena's hair, her arms, scratched her face. She was still yelling at him, but he couldn't hear it through the pillow.

She was going to suffocate him!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I find myself often wondering what the actual owners of Gundam Wing think of our fics….since clearly I don't own it or I'd have already released more episodes!!!

So this chapter is thanks to Ember who lent me her lap top while she was at work till 10 (poor thing) on Harry Potter Night. Everybody say thank you!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 12: Awakening

Duo couldn't breathe for the pillow smothering his every breath. He gasped for air, managing to pull in little gasps from where the pillow gave around his mouth a little. He pushed and pulled at the pillow, trying to get her to let go but couldn't get her skanky nails off the fabric.

All the while the sound of her shrill voice still reached him past the muffling of the pillow. She was persistent and Duo was surprised at her desperate strength.

But in the end Duo Maxwell was a Gundam Pilot, he was the definition of 'elite' and he was able to grab hold of her wrist with one and got his other around her neck, able to stifle his own panic from the lack of air. He all but stopped breathing since he couldn't get a good breath anyway and concentrated on his hands, with his left hand on her wrist he began to twist his hand and with his right hand at her neck he began to squeeze slow and steady, knowing he could very easily crush her windpipe if he needed to even if he was reluctant to kill her here.

But he'd known for years the truth about Relena Peacecraft and he had no hang ups over her death. He'd only ever held off on assassination since Heero seemed to hold some kind of respect for her, something that kept him from seeing the real her.

Now though, he had the perfect excuse of defending himself if he chose to use it, but he wasn't quite there yet, he still had questions to ask her...and Heero.

Duo waited patiently, even as his vision started to go grey and blurry, for the pain to make Relena let go. Even as the thought of them both choking each other to death almost made him giggle madly. But Duo won out in the end, ready for death where as Relena was not. She pulled back trying to break his hold on her and let the pillow fall from her hands at last. Duo let go of her as sweet cool air rushed back into his lungs and he concentrated on seeing things clearly again.

Duo eyed her warily as she stared daggers at him, one hand at her throat as if she couldn't believe he'd almost killed her. Obviously she had no clue how much Duo was suddenly wishing he had.

"You...you..." Relena gasped as she stood there, hating Duo. Duo found a smile which he had almost forgotten and used it on her. It was enough to cut her off, the pure madness in it making her shiver in realization.

"I was merely defending myself; it's not my fault you pulled away before I could kill you." Duo smiled at her and waited for her next move, were she a cat he was sure he could have seen the muscles bunching in her haunches, ready to spring as she pounced.

Relena, despite her sudden fear of the man lying in the hospital bed before her, was ready to do anything and everything to save her Heero from this mad man. She didn't let her mind linger on the words 'murder' or 'lawsuit', she just launched herself at the hospital bed and as she went she reached out and started grabbing wires and tubes. She pulled and yanked and then set in on Duo, brandishing fingernails that were a lot longer than his and tiny fists and were quick and sharp. She scratched a lot more effectively than Duo had, drawing blood instead of just causing small welts. And her little fists hit him again and again, his raised hands barely staving off the constant rain of her wrath.

Duo tried to get a hold of her again while trying to keep her away from his face, but it wasn't working; she kept squirming out of his grasp and started in on the screaming again. Duo was just trying to avoid Relena's attempt to gouge out his eyes when he finally heard running outside in the hallway. He was a Gundam Pilot, but he was also a Gundam Pilot being pulled out of his hospital bed and pummeled, he was so not above asking for help just then.

"Over Here!" Duo yelped, "Help!" Relena managed to pull him out of the bed and started kicking him as well and Duo tried to reach out and trip her up and was rewarded with a kick to the forearm as he balled up to protect his belly. He cried out in pain as he felt her shoe connect with his bone and then someone else was with them in the room.

Duo heard Relena scream in surprise and then in pain and then she wasn't on top of him anymore. She was gone and careful, gentle hands were helping him up and hovering over him protectively.

"H-h-h-Heero!?" Relena's voice confirmed what Duo's body had known instinctively from the first moment Heero had touched him and when Heero's scent had invaded his senses.

"Don't you fucking say anything!" Heero growled out at her, his gaze leaving Duo long enough to shot her a look that Duo was sure could have killed any normal human being.

Then he was focused back on Duo. "Are you ok? Anything Broken!? If anything is..." Heero's threat made Relena shrink in on herself and push herself back against the far wall, cowering, but still shooting glares at Duo.

"No, nothing broken." Duo hissed and let Heero help him to his feet and back to the edge of his bed. He stayed in the wreath of Heero's arms and watched Relena warily, waiting for her to go off again, but Heero's presence seemed to be enough to keep her plastered to the wall.

"I'm sorry Duo, I would have been sooner but I was detained in the waiting room." Heero's words were as cold as Duo had ever heard them and Heero shot Relena a glance.

"I'm so sorry Heero! T-they weren't supposed to-" Relena tried to apologize but was cut off by Heero.

"I told you not to speak!" Heero snapped at her. And Duo found Heero gone from his side and in front of her. "You don't _ever_ need to speak to either one of us ever again." Heero's voice had gone quiet, at its most dangerous as he towered over Relena who quivered before him.

"But Heero, I'm just trying to save you from-" Relena started and Duo just barely saw Heero's hand go up before it came down across her face. The sound told Duo it was less of a slap and more of a hit. He wasn't sure whether to be shocked or to smile.

He decided to just keep silent and watch as Heero handled the woman who Duo knew now was responsible for his time with Aykan, it was really rather perfect since Duo wasn't really up to disposing of her himself just then. It was all he could do to keep sitting there, his head was fit to split, memories assaulting him and skin stinging where the she devil had clawed him or ripped some kind of needle from inside him.

"P-please Heero! Can't you see..." Heero growled at her and she shut up.

"You want to know what I see!?" Heero demanded the quiet rage a lot worse than if he'd been yelling at her. "I see a woman who has deceived an entire planet, including colonies and convinced them that she is worthy of respect and her position as a leader when really she is nothing more than a murdering, disgusting, revolting, Bitch and a sad excuse of a human being!!!"

Relena whimpered but kept her mouth shut this time. Pleading with her eyes to which Heero was blind. He sneered at her and grabbed her by the upper arm and dragged her to the door, Duo started to protest, but then shut his mouth as he caught a glimpse of Heero's face as he pulled Relena after him. He wanted a shot at Relena, but not that badly.

Heero threw Relena out the door of Duo's room, sending her crashing into the far wall and then threw a last parting shot at her. "And you were lousy in bed." Then he slammed the door closed and locked it for good measure.

Relena ran; hate burning in her tears and sorrow tailing along on her heels. How dare he! How dare he humiliate her like that! This was all Duo's doing! Heero was never himself when that man was around!!! Duo had Heero fooled all over again. Just like before. That braided fool was trying to steal Heero back away from her.

DAMN THEM!!!!

Relena gathered her broken men from the waiting room and fled. Since Duo was going to force her hand, she would make sure no one would soon forget Relena Peacecraft's wrath!

But a dark thought entered her mind as she sat scheming in the black pickup. If Heero couldn't be swayed back from this, then wasn't he better off far, far away from Duo's manipulations. She'd have to save Heero, from Duo…and from himself.

Heero and Duo locked eyes across the room and they both stared at each other in silence. Both waiting for the other to say something first, waiting for something to break the silence, both unsure of what to say next.

"I'm sorry!" Heero said at the same time Duo said, "Thank you."

"What for?" Their words tripped over each other again.

"For getting rid of her of course, what are you sorry for!?" Duo demanded, easing himself back into his bed and bemoaning the fact that all these wires and tubes would have to be replaced again.

Heero came to his side again, helping him back under the covers, "I shouldn't have left. We've been monitoring her movements ever since… but we forced her to leave her house last night, and I should have known she'd try something as soon as she knew we couldn't monitor her as well anymore."

"Forced her to leave her house!? What did you do!?" Duo asked, a laugh jumping into his words mid sentence.

Heero looked slightly sheepish as a smile crept onto his face, "Set off and locked the alarms so she couldn't turn them off."

"HA! Really!? That's hilarious!" Duo laughed and then hissed as he tenderly tested his arm where Relena had kicked him and found a large bruise already forming under his skin.

"That looks bad." Heero's brows furrowed in worry as he took Duo's arm into his hands gently and brushed his fingers gently across Duo's skin.

"Yeah, that's gonna be a beauty." Duo agreed and continued searching to find what other damage she'd done. His face and arms were scratched near to ribbons and she'd gotten a good kick to his shin as well as a good bruise to his hip when she'd pulled Duo out of the bed.

"Lovely. I didn't even look this bad after a tussle during the lunch hour with Aykan!" Duo joked, but a glance at Heero told him that the joke wasn't all that funny.

"I'm sorry." Heero said again.

"So, just when are we going to get to the point where you and the other guys stop apologizing?" Duo asked, laying back against his pillows and calling for the nurse now that he could get a hold of his button.

Heero blushed slightly and looked down. "What we did was…"

"Was perfectly normal, given that you thought that I was dead!" Duo sighed heavily. "I'm not saying I forgive you all just yet for believing that in the first place, but I get that you're sorry. So you don't really need to say it anymore."

Heero felt his heart clench at the words, but he also felt a bit of relief. He wasn't sure where to go with that, but he didn't have to make the decision as the nurse chose that moment to come in and panic.

In less than two minutes Duo was being looked over by a doctor and security was talking to Heero. It was a bit of a tricky situation, but since Relena and her 'guards' had been caught on tape Heero was able to at least start the process of a restraining order against Relena for Duo and himself. It seemed like a bother to him, but at that moment he'd take anything he could so that he could at least have a guard for Duo if he needed to leave again. But he didn't trust the police or the Preventors to administer justice against Relena at all, so the point was really moot.

"Will you able to keep these ones in Mr. Maxwell?" The doctor teased as he reinserted the IV drip to the inside of Duo's arm, the last one left.

Duo gave him a big smile, "Assuming no more crazy blondes are allowed in to visit me."

The doctor gave a nervous laugh, and promised to be back after lunch to check on him. Then Duo and Heero were alone again, staring at each other. And that's when Duo remembered why Heero had left in the first place and what had happened while he was gone. He decided to push Relena out of his mind for now since she'd been dealt with for the moment. No doubt she would reenter their lives again at the worst possible moment ever, persistent bitch. But something else seemed like the much more pressing to him.

"Here, they found it in the waiting room, I dropped it but I think its ok." Heero handed over a plastic bag with the local electronics store logo on it, the music player he'd promised. Duo just held it, not knowing what to do with it, and looked up at Heero.

"I don't remember how to read or write." He couldn't even read the logo on the bag, couldn't read the directions on how to use the player, not that he'd need to anyway, couldn't read the expression on Heero's face!

"WHAT!?" Duo demanded, feeling suddenly defensive.

"What do you mean you don't remember how?" Heero asked, not sure he was hearing this right.

"I mean I started to write you that list you said you'd get me and I couldn't remember how to spell or write or anything. Then when I tried to read something, when I try to read this," He held up the bag, "I can't!"

Heero could hear the anger, the stress and the fear in Duo's voice, but he didn't know how to react to this either! Duo always blindsided him, even when he wasn't trying to. Probably even when he didn't want to, like now.

"I'll get the doctor." Heero's only idea. He turned to leave and Duo reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Delay that!" Duo muttered and pulled Heero back to his side. "Just…can we just wait a little bit before we call him back? We could tell him when he comes back after lunch."

Heero didn't like it, strained against it, but he also didn't want to leave as Duo's arms snaked around his waist. He looked down at Duo in confusion and in question.

Duo sighed against Heero's waist and finally admitted, "I forgot who she was. Didn't recognize her when she came in."

Heero had been wondering how Relena had gotten that close to Duo to hurt him without Duo calling for someone earlier or at least getting out of the room. Maybe locking himself in the bathroom…

"I forgot how I ended up in Aykan's loving care." Duo kept talking and Heero schooled his thoughts so that he could give Duo the attention he deserved. "I can't believe I forgot that!"

"Your brain may have suffered damages since we couldn't…" Heero started to explain but Duo cut him off.

"I know the science of it. But shouldn't someone remember something that bad happening to them!?" Duo asked, disgust tasting sour on his tongue, "That's no something someone should forget."

Heero pulled Duo against him tightly, aching for him. This was something he really didn't know how to fight. Something he couldn't protect Duo from, and it killed him inside.

"But I remember it now. When she shoved the pillow into my face it all came back." Duo rubbed his head while not moving from Heero's side even when Heero tried to jerk away.

"When she what!?" Heero made a moment as if he was going to go off after her again, but Duo held him in place with his next words.

"I remember how I died Heero."


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I find myself often wondering what the actual owners of Gundam Wing think of our fics….since clearly I don't own it or I'd have already released more episodes!!!

Ha, ha, it's the thirteenth chapter and it's titled Death, that's funny! Ok, another 5 am combined with work written chapter, let's see how this goes. Wink!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 13: Death

Heero couldn't keep the shock from his face. He actually pulled away form Duo a little to stare down at him better. He found Duo's calm disarming. How could he be so placid, how could he lay there in a hospital bed and talk so peacefully about his staged death!?

"Sit down Heero." Duo instructed the once pilot of Wing, suddenly afraid of the mans knees collapsing underneath him. Heero deftly reached out and pulled the hospital chair under him and sat down hard, still staring at Duo in something akin to confusion but closer to anger or outrage.

"Remember that day, how I was going to go see Dr. Draki because I got that memo for a follow up on my physical after that mission to L2?" Heero nodded not admitting out loud that he remembered everything from that day down to what he and Duo had been wearing.

"Well that turned out to be fake. I hung around the coffee shop on the corner of 5th and Main till it was almost ten, they got me right as I passed that alley between the coyp place and that shoe store." Duo cursed himself again as he remembered just how easily they'd gotten the jump on him. It had been lightly raining that day and everything had been sort of dreary and dark. Duo had been thinking about going home that afternoon and just reading by the big windows in their apartment, but that was no excuse.

"They had that tranquilizer OZ used towards the end of the war, that mix with the shit in it for horses." Heero remembered all too well and felt a surge of anger rush through him tasting of bile and toast. "Got my right shoulder. My whole right side was numb in like fifteen seconds. I got one of them with my left before that side went numb too. Boot knife to ankle." Heero nodded, Duo could wield his blades with either hand and with equal skill. "Then I was just laying there… couldn't move at all."

"One of them braced me up against the wall, tall guy with short brown hair and a scar that ran from the corner of his right eye to the top of his lips. And they just started hitting me. I think they kept going after they were supposed to cuz of their buddy I nailed." Duo rubbed his jaw in memory of the pain, "There was one woman with them, she reminded them that they needed some teeth, so they hit me till they knocked some lose."

Heero could feel his nails digging into his palms. He was pretty sure that the men he'd run into in the waiting room had been the ones Duo was now describing, but at the mention of the woman he was now positive. Hew as pretty sure what was coming next, but Duo needed to tell it. And a part of him needed to hear it.

"They put me in the back of a van, there was another guy back there, Heero, he was still alive!" Duo faltered then. Had to be, Heero told himself, otherwise the coroner would have been able to tell that the body hadn't died in the crash. Up until now Duo had been speaking in a normal, matter o' fact, even tone. But this was where Heero started to see the real toll this whole thing had taken on him.

Heero wanted to reach out and take Duo's hand, but he'd already felt the warm trickle of blood on his palm, so he settled for scooting his chair forward and putting as much support as he could into his eyes while he surreptitiously rubbed his palms on his jeans.

Duo surged forward, wanting to get this next part over with, "He was drugged, same as me. He was so scared, stared at me as if it was either my fault or as if I was his goddamned savior." Duo shook and reached around his body to hold onto himself, willing Heero not to touch him or he was just going to fall apart and then he'd have to start all over again. And he really didn't think he could tell this story twice.

"They drove us… I don't know where, but I can't even remember how long it took, just that the guy's, no, the kid's eyes were hazel. He was the same age as me, same build. But he had hazel eyes and his hair was a lighter brown than mine. We just stared at each other, and then they stopped and opened the doors and pulled him out. The woman jumped in behind me and sat me up, told me to watch; that this was what my friends were going to think had happened to me. They had my car, started to put him inside. The guy with the scar came back and took my cloths and switched it with the kid's, took my watch and my… my cross."

Duo took a deep breath, "Then one of the other guys, real skinny with black hair and a limp made a big show of getting into a tank truck, you know, the ones that usually carry fuel? I knew then, what they were planning. We both knew."

Heero knew it all too well, he'd seen it so often on the news, had seen the scene after everything had been put out. Had seen what had been left of Duo's car.

"He screamed, couldn't struggle, just screamed. Before they…" Duo paused and took in a big gulp of air and for a moment Heero was afraid Duo would gag. "Before they got him in he yelled at me, told me his name. Lawrence Kelps."

Heero chanced it and reached out and snagged Duo's hand, just held it, not tightly, though he had to fight that. But just held it and waited.

"The woman pulled out the bag with my teeth in it and it got passed to the guy in the tank truck. Then they shoved him in the car and they shut me in the back of the van again. I kept trying to move, kept trying to… to..."

Heero squeezed his hand. Duo looked up at him, some part of him horrified, and the rest of him sort of numb. "I couldn't. That stupid fucking drug."

Heero remembered getting the call, the call that Duo wasn't at his appointment, that he wasn't at home in their apartment resting. That he was never going to come into the room again, smiling and searching him out. Never going to tell him a joke again, never going to drag him out of the office for lunch with Quatre, Trowa and Wu Fei. Never going to bring home a movie and sit next to him on the couch while Heero tried to find subtle ways to touch him. Then the closed casket at the funeral. His friends, refusing to let him open it, to see Duo burned and dead. Telling him he needed to grieve and live. That Duo would want him to. That it was ok that he'd never smile again. Never again… gone… forever.

"I heard the explosion, I knew the kid would burn up in my place and all they'd have left to identify him with were a few of my teeth. I knew they'd call you first…"

Duo closed his eyes tightly. His voice was becoming strained. "I knew it was all her doing. I knew that she'd use this opportunity to get close to you, and I knew I was going to die pretty soon."

"So I tried to get them angry, I yelled at them and fought to get that shit out of my system, but they ignored me and just said they were taking me somewhere where I'd no longer be a danger to society."

Duo slumped back in the bed, tears gathering on his eyelashes but refusing to pool together and slide down his cheeks.

"I tried to escape; the first time was the worst. Aykan didn't really use electricity after that, but he always used it as his threat after that. But I kept trying… until…" This was his lowest moment, Duo hated it, but he needed to tell Heero, needed to let him know… "Until I realized that four years had gone by."

Heero felt Duo's words as if he'd just been stabbed by white hot metal. Duo had given up. Had accepted his fate. He could see it in Duo eyes right now. Duo had given up on any means of rescue or escape when he'd finally been taken out of there. Aykan and time had finally cracked Duo. That was why it had taken him so long to come to terms with reality.

Duo had expected to die under Aykan's blade. And that alone made Heero whish he could bring the man back simply to kill him again. And more than that, it made him whish he hadn't let Relena Peacecraft go.

How he'd not seen it still made Heero glow red with shame. She'd protested his resignation as her bodyguard. She'd protested him spending so much time with Duo, but more than anything, she'd protested their living together. When Heero had told her over lunch that he was moving in with Duo she'd nearly exploded with anger. And still, Heero hadn't seen just how deep that anger had lain.

Now, with 20/20 hindsight, he could see it all, and each move she'd made in the following four and a half years only sickened him more. How could he tell Duo? How could he tell Duo that he'd been taken in by the siren. That he'd fallen for her ploy and played into her hands so easily. That he'd taken up his old job again in addition to his other job. That he'd moved in with her and allowed her to take Duo's place. That they all had. That… he'd slept with Relena.

But hadn't he already, hadn't Duo heard him tell Relena that she'd been bad in bed? Didn't that imply everything?

Why wasn't Duo bringing that up right now?

"I'm sorry." Duo's voice broke something in him.

"NO!" Heero gasped for air, pulling his hand out of Duo's abruptly, seeing the hurt look on Duo's face at the sudden action and hating himself more.

"No, you should never, ever be sorry for any of this!" Heero stood and the chair fell backwards from the force. "This was all my fault. All of it!"

Duo stared up at him in confusion. "No it's not Heero, They shouldn't have been able to get me so easily, and that set up with the Doctor was so obviously fake!"

"Duo, they shouldn't have been sent at all! That was all my fault, if I hadn't just cut my ties with Relena, like you told me to. If I had just listened to you… if… if I hadn't told her we were moving in together…"

"You what!?" Duo suddenly asked and Heero remembered then that he had never told Duo about his weekly lunches with the woman. The woman whom he now loathed with every fiber of his body. The woman who had almost cost him everything. The woman he'd thought of as his friend and later… his lover.

"Heero…" Duo glared at him, unbelieving and Heero heard a small sound pass his lips… felt his stomach tighten.

Then he was running from the room. Crashing past a woman pushing a large cart with food on it and running down the hall and out of the hospital.

Duo was left staring at the empty door. He was gone. Just like that he was gone and Duo was left floundering in and empty room. Everything looked very suddenly like it was carved out of stone. All hard lines and jagged edges. Gone. Nothing was real anymore, Heero wasn't real, hadn't been. He'd just been anther elaborate dream. Relena too. All of this. It wasn't real, he was still back with Aykan. He was never getting out!

Duo choked on his air and felt panic rising in his veins.

"Heero…?" He didn't know why the name came to his lips now, but in the next second he was pulling at his tubes and IV's damming the doctor for even bothering to put them back in. He had to get Heero back, had to make sure! Had to know that this was real!

Moe was there, at his elbow, talking to him and trying to still his hands. Duo couldn't hear her, he was just fighting to get out of bed, even as Moe hit the emergency button and nurses rushed in and the doctor came back.

"Let. Me. Go!" Duo yelled at them, struggling against their hands and just barely managing to hold himself back from hurting them. Then there was a needle in his arm and he saw red rage. He virtually exploded and didn't hold back as the feel of drugs pouring through his veins sent him mindlessly against them all.

Before he blacked out he heard someone yelling to call 'Mr. Winner' and someone else ordering restraints.

"…Heero…" Duo was able to breathe before the world went deep, deep blue around him.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Don't Own!!! Obviously. I mean, who would be so arrogant as to try and claim such a legacy!?

I'm writing this on the eve of moving day!!! Here's hoping I can get set up quickly at my new apt. thanks for the encouraging reviews from the last chapter. I would like to take a moment to remind people that Relena and Heero Were Never Married!!! Someone sent me a message asking how I could do that, and I reply by saying "I never did." So yeah, not married! EW!!!!!!! Oh, and question, do the personalities I'm writing count as OoC? Someone just explained that one to me recently and I was wonder if this qualified.

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 14: Ties

"Ah, Heero, glad you're here!" Quatre turned in his chair as Heero walked in with his head down and abruptly took a seat in a chair against the wall. Quatre stopped reaching for the file Trowa had brought him only hours ago and trusted the little alarms that were going off in his brain.

"Heero? Is everything all right?" Quatre got out of his small throne set before the elaborate banks of computers at his disposal, and walked over to sit in the chair next to Heero where a couple of them lined the wall of his private office.

"No. Everything is all wrong!" Heero cursed the floor, not daring to lift his eyes to Quatre, sure the blonde man would see it all in his eyes. The betrayal, the shame, the deception and the need.

And he was really only making things worse! The way he'd just run out on Duo. He'd only meant to step outside, get some fresh air and go back in and explain things to Duo, but his breath had turned into gasps and his feet hadn't stopped just outside the hospital.

He'd kept walking, running when he hit open stretches, and his feet had carried him all the way to Quatre's manor, halfway across town, just around six pm! Heero brought his hands up and held his head. God! He'd screwed things up so badly, he couldn't see any way out of this! If Duo hadn't blamed him before, he should know enough now that he could. Probably did.

"Heero, please talk to me, I can't read your mind." Quatre sighed heavily, suspecting what some of the problem might be and worry for Duo was creeping higher and higher up his list of current emotions. "Or would you rather I hack into the hospitals security and find out for myself?"

"I couldn't… I couldn't think of what to say. What to tell him. The words… wouldn't come." Heero spoke to the floor as if it had asked the question. "I was just going to… and then I just kept going. I just left him there."

"Ok. I'm going to just call the hospital really quickly and check on Duo. Then we can talk about this." Quatre picked up his phone and dialed for his in house secretary. "Yes, can you get a hold of the hospital for me? Oh? Oh. Ok, patch me through." Quatre turned to Heero. "I put a hold on all my calls while I was taking care of some files, they called while I was working, sounds like something happened after you left."

That was enough to make Heero's head snap up, his blue eyes wide with panic and fear. What had happened to Duo? Had something gone wrong after he left? Had Relena gone back to try and kill him again? Had the sickness come back and sent Duo back into surgery?

Heero waited anxiously while Quatre quietly talked with someone while he used every ounce of his will to keep his feet glued to the floor. Every instinct he had screaming at him to run right back to Duo's side, but he waited to hear what the doctors told Quatre before he rushed off without thinking again.

"Yes. Thank you doctor. I'll be there first thing in the morning." Quatre hung up and looked steadily and solemnly at Heero.

"What happened?" Heero couldn't keep all of the desperation out of his voice as he asked and swallowed hard trying to speak past the lump in his throat.

"After you left Duo… lost his sense of reality. He became violent and the doctors had to fight to sedate him." Quatre cringed inwardly, he could see Heero's weight shifting to leave, to rush back in and try and fix things again. "I'm sorry Heero, but I need you to stay here tonight… and most likely tomorrow too."

Heero started to protest but Quatre surged forward and interrupted him, "Heero, I'll be there first thing in the morning to talk to him, I think if we always have one of us there with him we can get him stabilized again, but the doctors told me his drifting between states of lucidness and depression to states of violent rage and they've had to restrain him. Which I know he'll like even less than the drugs."

"That's exactly why I need to go back right now! Duo needs me!" Heero found his hands in fists again and felt cold creeping over him, a stillness that he hadn't felt around any of the other pilots in a long time.

"Heero, I think what Duo needs most right now is perspective." Quatre paused and then explained his theory when Heero stayed still, waiting for him to continue. "You're forcing too much on him at once. It was a battle just to convince him that we'd really gotten him out of that prison. He needs more specific details instead of great leaps of events that have happened over a four year time period."

Heero's shoulders sagged and Quatre knew he had gotten through to Heero, so he moved on before Heero thought of something else.

"I do need you here Heero, I had Trowa go and get Duo's files from when he was still alive. His Social Security Number, well, the ones you Trowa and he were given after the war. His ID's and Insurance papers. There's lots of stuff in here, a lot of stuff you helped him get. All this needs to be re submitted and processed. All records show him as legally deceased, we need this all processed before we can do much of anything else. It'll be a big step in our fight against her."

"But it all has to be done discreetly." Heero nodded his understanding and took the papers from Quatre, glancing at the few on top.

"Oh, and also, where were you planning on living?" Quatre's question caught Heero completely off guard and that was when he remember that he was still supposed to be living with Relena in her house. Heero felt as if he'd been blindsided.

Quatre nodded, reading the look on Heero's face perfectly. "I thought so, I'll ask Trowa if he'll got and get your stuff from Relena's house and bring them here. You can stay with me till we can get you and Duo your own place again." Quatre smiled at Heero, willing his friend to take a breather, to relax a little and stop trying to bear all this weight alone on his shoulders.

Heero took a deep breath, as if reading Quatre's thoughts, and gave him a little smile, "Thank you Quatre."

"You two aren't in this alone. Remember that. Now go get some food and then you can start that before you go to bed." Quatre said gesturing to the file in Heero's hands. Heero nodded and left.

Quatre smiled, and walked after him a second later to find Trowa.

"Trowa!" Relena intoned as the man was escorted into her presence. She was gratefully back in her home and a bit jumpy from her run in at the hospital the day before. She could feel the twitch under her eye and tried to hide it as she smiled for Trowa, waiting to see why he'd come and not Heero.

"What brings you here today?" Relena asked sweetly, watching his eyes closely from behind his bangs as he just stared at her. "And were is Quatre? You two could have joined me for brunch."

Trowa didn't show her any emotion. "I'm here for Heero's personal belongings. He asked for them to be retrieved and that I inform you that he no longer lives here." Trowa silently relished in the shock and sudden change in Relena's demeanor.

"He What?" Relena was sure she'd heard wrong, Heero was just taking a few days off, soon she'd have him back in her bed! He loved her!!! She'd made sure of it!

"He doesn't ever want to see you again Miss Peacecraft." Trowa walked quietly past her and headed for the bedroom where Heero had told him the things he wanted were. Trowa found it all easily. The small duffel bag, the few cloths, the small box and the framed pictures. Heero had said it was ok to leave everything else behind.

Trowa moved around wordlessly even as Relena screamed at him the whole time. She had started just asking him questions, Why wasn't Heero here to get this stuff himself? Why hadn't anyone called her for days? Had Heero mentioned her? Weren't they going to dinner and the theater this weekend? Had Heero said to tell her anything else? Where was Heero now?

From there it had escalated till she'd been screaming at him, demanded he tell her where Heero was, that he needed her! That Duo was obviously a danger to society and what she'd done had been for the greater good! That they couldn't hold this against her! How could they be so cruel, didn't they see that Duo was deceiving them? Where was Heero!?

But Trowa held fast on words that itched to pass his lips as he mutely took the brunt of her fury and kept himself from turning this into a conflict between them. So long as he went about his business the men in the other room stayed seated in front of the TV and the woman in the corner only watched him and Relena.

It wasn't until Trowa had everything and started to leave that Relena's screams became yells, then words and finally turned to begging. She was pitiful. Her tears were those that were best suited to crocodiles and Trowa saw them for what they were.

He was shamed to know that at one time he'd have done anything to keep those tears from ever being shed. He was still coming to terms with that, like the others, but now he had a little chance at some payback. Trowa turned, and looked down at Relena whose eyes instantly latched onto him, hope and crazed desperation rising in their crystal depths.

He smiled then, smiled down at her. But there was no joy or forgiveness there. No promise or security, nothing of the Trowa Relena had come to know was in that smile. All that was there was the promise of justice, of death. It was the pure venom of danger and it made the woman behind Relena unfold her arms so that they rested, ready at her sides. Caution and her own danger coming into her cold eyes as her client stumbled backwards away from the tall man with the hidden eyes.

"Good day Relena Peacecraft." Trowa spoke gently to the cowering woman and turned and left.

Duo pulled and strained against his restraints, he fumed and raged and yelled for someone to come and free him. He knew he'd get tired again soon and would forget to demand, it was these damn drugs they were pumping into him.

His anger would rise and he would be ready and full of adrenalin and then the drugs would push it all down and he'd be so tired he couldn't even raise a hand. It was frustrating as all hell and he didn't know what was going on!

Where was Heero, wasn't he supposed to be here? But wasn't he the one Duo was mad at? Where was everyone? Why had they closed his door?

Duo pulled again, feeling the restraints give a little, they gave a little every time, but they wouldn't break. Duo cursed them, he could feel the fatigue creeping up on him again. He wanted out before it overcame him.

Duo screamed from between his clenched teeth. Everything was such a mess, and he was so angry and he couldn't even figure out why!

The soft knock at his door turned his attention away from his restraints as the door opened and Quatre came in. "Good morning Duo."


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine! Gundam Wing isn't one of my many belongings. And doesn't that just suck?

ARGH!!!! I HAD IT!!! I had it right here a second ago, and now It's GONE!!!! Ok, so apparently someone out there hates me today because I just had chapter 15 and now I lost it. So here's my attempt at a retype. I suck. This sucks. Damnit.

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 15: Confusion

Duo's head snapped up as he locked eyes with Quatre who came in to sit down next to him ever so calmly. Duo stared at him suspiciously, wondering. Wondering if this was yet another hallucination and if he should believe anything he was seeing right then.

As if reading his mind Quatre smiled softly and said, "Yes, I am real. This isn't another hallucination."

Duo's eyes only went further down to slits. If this was a figment of his mind wouldn't Quatre say just that? Duo growled low in his throat in frustration.

"Duo, look at me." Quatre coaxed. He held Duo's eyes with his own and stared him down. "I'm really here."

Duo's eyes widened in surprise and then sagged in exhaustion.

"Gods, I'm sorry Quat. Everything's all messed up in there." Duo gestured at his head and sagged back into his pillows. But his hands never stopped fidgeting, quietly fighting his restraints.

"Duo, listen," Quatre scooted to the edge of his chair but was dismayed when Duo only looked at the ceiling just over his chair, but he pushed on, "Heero's going to be gone a few days, ok? He's all right." Quatre had seen Duo's eyes flicker about in the beginnings of panic, but they calmed down at his words. "But we decided that we need to stay with you in shifts."

"Heero was doing it again, wasn't he?" Duo muttered.

"Yeah, he was pushing too hard. He's only human, but he keeps forgetting that wherever you're concerned." Quatre smiled and saw a little bit of tension run out of Duo's shoulders. He knew that parts of Duo's brain were drifting around the ceiling with his eyes, but a large part of his was just as worried about Heero as the rest of him.

He may be scattered about, Quatre thought, but he's still the man he was, it's still all there. He just needs time to put it all back together. Quatre knew right then that he would do anything he could to help Duo find his way back, no matter the time it took, or the recourses, he was going to make sure Duo and Heero made it out of this in one piece.

"So here's the deal," Quatre moved on, "We're going to help you stay here with us till we can get you discharged by staying with you one at a time. It'll give Heero a chance to rest for now and Trowa just got back from running a few errands. Oh, and Wu Fei is just about done helping Une."

Duo looked at him then with surprise, but quickly went back to the ceiling. Quatre wasn't sure but it was almost as if it was painful for him to look at Quatre while they were talking. As if he trusted Quatre's voice more than the sight of him.

"So I'll be here till Trowa comes this evening and then Wu Fei will come and take over after that." Quatre tried to ignore the pain he felt while watching Duo listen to him and not look at him, but anything was better than how he'd last seen Duo.

"How is Heero?" Duo asked, still not looking at the blonde sitting next to his bed, "really?"

"Duo, Heero…Heero went though a lot when you… When we thought you were dead." Quatre could see a perfect picture of Heero sitting in the funeral home. Staring at the closed casket, perfectly empty. "It was like someone had hit a rewind button. Like something inside him crashed and rather than deal with everything he reverted back to who he'd been during the war. He was a different person completely. He was so empty. It was like there was something missing, like he'd lost a limb. But you could only really see it in his eyes."

Duo shivered ever so slightly. He was unsure as to wither it was because he was afraid for Heero or because Heero had had such a strong reaction to his death. The whole thing was overwhelming and painful and made him want to just stop. Just stop everything and go to sleep for a long, long time.

But his mind wouldn't let him, couldn't help him let this go. This was something he was both deadly curious about and wanted to avoid desperately at the same time.

"Are Heero and Relena a couple?" Duo found his voice speaking without his knowledge, asking what he didn't want to know but needed to. He had meant to ask Heero, to talk it over with him. The slip up had been his of course, and Duo had taken it in and ignored it while he could, pushing harder issues away. But with Quatre here he found himself asking and moving his eyes away from the ceiling to stare straight at Quatre.

"Duo, I want you to understand this. I don't want to overwhelm you with everything that's happened since you've been… gone, but I think, no, I know this is one of those things that can't wait. I understand that you need to know, but you should know that our grief for you nearly broke us all. I'm sure it broke Heero, on some level he's never been the same. Relena took advantage of that." Quatre held his eyes, never breaking contact. "She used his grief, our grief and mourning against us to move in almost at once. She pushed herself into your place."

Duo listened, almost detached, but feeling each word falling from Quatre's lips as if something was stabbing him over and over again into his spine.

"We should have seen it, should have known what she was doing, but we were blinded. I know it's no excuse but we had to move on with out lives, had to either live or follow you. And with Heero it was a close thing. I'm not so sure he wouldn't have followed you if not for Relena being there constantly and taking your place."

Quatre did look away then, as if ashamed of his words, his admittance to what very little good Relena had done. Quatre stared at his lap and waited, listening to Duo's breathing. Wishing he had other words to offer his friend.

He glanced up to see that Duo had shifted his gaze to the window. Staring out between the blinds, staring out at the parking lot and its sparse collection of trees. There was a semi-strong wind blowing today and it was as if the moving branches memorized Duo.

Quatre suddenly recognized the trick for what it was. Duo had used it often during the war. Pretend to be distracted by something, let your interrogator believe he had stumped you while you digested what you'd heard and thought of something else to say.

It was then that Quatre realized just how much calmer Duo was. How he was fidgeting less with his bindings and how his breath had evened out. Was it really just that easy, as easy as it had been? Just explain things to Duo, give him something to think about and he was instantly calmer for it.

Quatre watched as Duo showed no signs of confusion as he slowly spoke while still staring out the window.

"You let me rest in peace and moved on with your lives, its what I would have wanted. I can't fault you for that." Duo drug in a deep sigh and pulled his gaze back to Quatre. "But I wasn't dead. I can fault you for that."

Quatre understood that Duo was saying he was mad, but he wouldn't be mad forever. Quatre nodded and they both sat there in a strained but comfortable silence, which should have canceled itself out, but somehow it didn't. And neither Duo nor Quatre felt a need to break it. So they just sat there in their thoughts till Trowa showed up with the dinner cart.

He walked in silently behind Moe as she put Duo's tray on his table and pushed it in front of him, urging him to eat. She jumped when Trowa stepped around into her line of sight to greet Quatre.

"Oh Dear! You boys are going to have to teach me that trick for when my eldest decides it's time for a midnight snack." Moe laughed and said goodbye, pushing her cart and still laughing to herself.

Trowa gave Duo a silent smile while he started to pick at his dinner, which seemed to satisfy him as a hello, which confused Trowa. Duo always seemed dissatisfied with Trowa's silent demeanor; using every conversation they had as an excuse to get him to talk as much as possible. It seemed to be sort of a silent self-challenge.

Trowa gave Quatre a raised eyebrow in question to Duo's current state and Quatre motioned towards Duo's IV drip with a quick flick of his head silently telling Trowa that it was the drugs. Trowa nodded ever so slightly in understanding and let Quatre get up to say goodbye to Duo while he took up vigil in Quatre's vacated chair.

He remembered Duo's small triumphant smiles from throughout the war whenever Trowa had spoken to him of things besides the waging of war. Duo had always looked directly into his eyes and spoken with speed and wit to coax sentences from Trowa. No Duo's acceptance of his silence was almost akin to a slap in the face.

Trowa remembered having a conversation with Heero once about how he didn't think Duo's pursuit of conversation hadn't really about bothering someone for the fun of it, but rather about making the other pilots into his surrogate family. It had seemed that he felt it his personal duty to make sure they all talked to each other and liked each other, fusing them together in friendship rather than just as comrades.

Trowa had surmised that it had something to do with his being an orphan on L2 and Heero had agreed, telling Trowa that he'd noticed it to. The two had agreed and of course gone along with Duo's little subconscious plan. They allowed themselves to be taken in and simply given Duo what he wanted, truly wanted. A family.

Quatre left with a final wave at the door after stopping to give Trowa a quick, chaste kiss and Trowa turned to find Duo's eyes drifting low. He stared out at him from half lidded eyes. Trowa smiled at him, Duo was succumbing to the drugs, drifting away again. Trowa gave him soft encouraging words and Duo drifted off.

Duo hated nights at the hospital the most. He always found himself away at three am somehow. It was a terrible hour to be awake, anywhere, but the hospital seemed to be the worst. Duo glance at Trowa quietly sleeping in his chair, dozing. Duo was loath to wake him, but he lay there wishing him awake anyway.

It was the hour when all his doubts became so real. When everything seemed to remind him of Aycan. When the war pulled at the corners of his mind and he could almost smell smoke and blood.

Duo swallowed hard and lay there, trying to picture Heero's face in his mind, trying to hear his voice just beyond the explosions that sounded so distant to him. He lay there and waited for the sun.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine! Gundam Wing isn't one of my many belongings. And doesn't that just suck?

Second half of a two parter posting. Apologies all around for my absence and I hope this is up to par. More 5am writing, otherwise I just don't have a chance to type. apologies again for how long this took. I had to stop and retype the previous chapter after loseing it on a different puter! Damnit! Ok, I REALLY REALLY hope I can get back up to par after this. I'll try and post faster. SORRY!!!!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 16: Blank

Duo woke again around four, but closer to five really when his bladder wouldn't let him drift in and out of sleep anymore. The problem was that since he was in restraints a nurse had to be called so that she could… well, Duo really didn't want to go through it again, but his doctor was still being cautious.

"Duo?" Duo started, he hadn't known that Trowa was still awake. He'd looked as if he'd drifted off in the chair next to Duo's bed. Duo hated the drugs in his system for making him dull and fuzzy.

"Sorry." Duo apologized without knowing why, but went with it and tried to stop his left from jumping.

"Is something wrong?" Trowa asked, watching him with what Duo was certain was mild amusement and it just made Duo mad.

"Yes. But I can't get them off my wrists." Duo snapped pulling against his restraints for effect and just let his leg twitch.

"I'll get the nurse." Trowa smiled at him and left while Duo tried to hide a grateful look. He was grateful again when Trowa waited outside his room and felt slightly guilty for snapping at his friend when the nurse left and Trowa came back in.

"So, I heard that you might be released soon." Trowa chuckled at Duo's slight blush but didn't comment, letting Duo regain his composure in the darkened room.

Duo tried to focus on something other than the last few shreds of pride he was trying desperately to cling to. "Yeah, but I have to come back for the stitches and they're going to recommend a class for me to take."

"A class?" Trowa asked, confusion playing across his face and Duo realized that he hadn't told anyone but Heero about the reading and writing thing, and apparently neither had Heero. He flushed a little and remembered how the doctor had looked a little relieved when Duo had finally admitted to his sudden lack of knowledge.

"Uh, yeah. Thing is, it turns out that I've lost my ability to read and write." Duo stated bluntly wishing he didn't have to have this conversation, that the information would just magically put itself in Trowa's head so he wouldn't have to explain it. But he really needn't have worried.

"The swelling." Trowa said in an almost whisper.

"Yeah," Duo kept going, surprisingly encouraged by Trowa's blank face, the way he took everything in stride, as if he had expected everything you'd just told him instead of being surprised like most people would be. "I lost the connections in my brain that connect that part of it with that knowledge to the rest of it."

Trowa nodded and smiled, "So you have to reform those connections, you have to learn it all over again."

"Yeah, but the doctor said it might be easier this time around. And at least this time I won't be surrounded by first graders." Duo laughed and enjoyed the sound of Trowa's low chuckle.

"I missed you." Trowa suddenly stated without warning and Duo found himself wishing for Trowa's ability to be blank, knowing his own reaction fell short of any lack of one Trowa would have had. "It was terrible when you were dead. It hurt everyday and Heero turned into someone else that we didn't recognize."

Duo wasn't sure what kind of response to give to that. In truth he and Heero hadn't even really had a relationship yet, not in the traditional sense. They'd been living together but had not quite crossed that final line that would have labeled them as a couple. But it had been no secret that they'd cared for one another and that they had been steadily making their way towards that line.

Still, hearing about Heero's reaction now always caused a slightly giddy reaction in Duo that was quickly followed by guilt and a bit of anger. At himself and at Heero.

Duo finally settled on "Thank you." And gave Trowa a big smile, showing through his eyes just how much he'd missed not only Heero, but all of them while he'd been trapped away in the mountains.

Duo dozed the rest of the night, thinking on Trowa's words and hoping that Trowa would pass along information so that he wouldn't have to explain his sudden ignorance to Quatre and Wu Fei of all people. It was as much embarrassing as disheartening. Duo was so used to learning something once and then keeping that information for what he'd expected to be the rest of his life. To suddenly have something he'd always thought of as so simple gone from his brain bothered him more than he was letting on. It made him feel like they'd taken that part of his brain away when they'd opened his skull instead of just looked at his broken connections. It made something in his stomach cold and frustrated him to no end.

He kept seeing words all around him and realized just how much everyone relied on these skills, how different the world was without them. And of course there was the nagging tug at his brain that told him that he knew these words, all these letters. That he could recreate them if only he could make the link. But it was all fogged up in his mind, just out of reach as he stared till his eyes got sore, in the end the surface he was trying to read might as well have just been blank.

When the sun did come up Trowa stuck around till Moe came with breakfast, talking quietly with the doctor when he came in to check on Duo in his morning rounds. The doctor didn't want to take Trowa's word that it was ok to release Duo from his restraints, but Trowa was standing firm and the doctor looked just about ready to give.

Wu Fei showing up pushed the doctor over the edge. Wu Fei came in and walked past the doctor and Trowa as if they weren't there and approached Duo's side as Moe said she'd see him at lunch.

"Good morning Maxwell." Wu Fei pulled up a chair and pulled out a brown paper bag from seemingly nowhere and used a corner of Duo's table to set up his own breakfast to eat with Duo.

"Morning 'Fei." Duo smiled, seeing the shocked expression on the doctor's face out of the corner of his eye. "What'd you get for breakfast? Wanna swap?"

"Defiantly not." Wu Fei smiled at him. "I avoid hospital food with more conviction than I avoid the DMV."

Duo laughed heartily remembering all those years ago when they'd all made a trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles together to all get official drivers licenses. Apparently their fake ones hadn't passed close inspection by the Preventors and Une had insisted that they do everything legally now.

"One of you will be with him at all times?" Duo heard the doctor ask Trowa. He smiled and ate his fake eggs quietly like a good little boy. Trowa assured the doctor that Duo wouldn't be left alone again and the doctor finally came around. He walked over and undid Duo's restraints.

Even with the padding of faux fur on them Duo still rubbed his wrists in relief and went back to eating his inflatable eggs while the doctor watched, waiting. "Thanks doc." Duo chirped, ignoring Trowa's chuckle and Wu Fei's eye roll.

The doctor, convinced of Duo's obedience to hospital law, finally left and Trowa said goodbye while Wu Fei finished his breakfast. Duo picked at everything else on his tray and finished the orange juice. The egg being light and nearly tasteless had gone down easy enough, but that alone bothered Duo, even when everything else proved almost beyond inedible.

"Would you care for my non-hospital toast since yours seems to have changed into cardboard between the cafeteria and here?" Wu Fei offered a piece of toast cut diagonally from his paper bag and Duo didn't know whither to cry at the sight of it or laugh at Wu Fei's offer.

"Yeah." Duo barely kept the laughter contained, "Thanks Wu Fei!"

Wu Fei nodded and sat back for the morning he was about to spend with Duo. Duo saw what was coming and cut it off quickly with little breadcrumbs escaping his lips. "Don't you dare Wu Fei!" Duo cried out, pointing and accusatory finger at Wu Fei that was actually accusatory toast still held in his hand. "I've just been through this with Quatre and Trowa. If I have to sit through more apologies and explanations as to the past four and a half years I swear that I will choke you with my IV tube!"

Wu Fei paused; his eyes wide and then a slow smile crept over his lips. "Very well then, I will surmise that you have learned to read minds while away and know everything I was about to say. Therefore I no longer have a need to voice my apologies or explanations."

Duo waited, chewing, still expecting Wu Fei to try and get into that conversation, but he seemed content to sit and watch Duo munch on his non-hospital toast so Duo took another bite and when he still got no response or further tendencies in that direction he congratulated himself on heading off that train wreck. Wu Fei smiled at him, also portraying his feelings of missing Duo as Trowa had voiced in the middle of the night.

Duo tried to assure Wu Fei as he had Trowa, but it didn't work quite as well so he gave up and just smiled, letting Wu Fei's calm and patience fill the room and hopefully him. It was different bring in the same room with four different people. Duo had forgotten just how different. He'd forgotten little things somehow. Little things that he'd always taken for grated and now found again, like when he'd discovered them the first time. It was exciting and a little sad. But mostly exciting.

Duo laughed with Quatre, sat with Trowa and talked with Wu Fei. He missed Heero still, with a surprisingly tremendous ache that screamed in his chest, but he found little holes all over his body that were suddenly being filled by his lost brothers. Holes he hadn't even felt, losses that had gone unnoticed with the presence of the bigger, all consuming loss that left him slightly hollow.

Duo still felt anger, still knew he was a bit of a ways off of true forgiveness, which made him sad. But he also felt that anger depleting, the constant doubts had been plaguing him as if the sun weren't there and it was permanently three am. That hour in the morning darkness when everything seemed hopeless and empty. Fake and painful.

But those doubts had fed his anger, and without them there anymore his anger was fading away. Fading away to nothingness in the face of this love he'd lost. Quatre, Trowa and Wu Fei had each held a part of him, a part of him he didn't want back. Something they could keep always and remember him with. But now that he wasn't dead those pieces had come back on their own and Anger and forgiveness were foreign concepts in the face of that.

Heero still wasn't there; the last piece was still being held back form him. But Duo knew he could hold out for that last piece. That it would be the sweetest and the most fulfilling of them all. He needed Heero, needed him in a wonderful, terrible way. But only if Heero was willing, was ready.

Now might not be that time. Duo couldn't really see far enough into the future to find that time, but he would wait for it. Wait for Heero to come back to him. Then there would be talking, lots of talking. Duo would never forgive Relena, but could he forgive Heero of her?


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine! Gundam Wing isn't one of my many belongings. And doesn't that just suck?

Have been sick, still sick. Fever won't let me sleep, so I'm pounding away at the laptop. Hopefully this will actually turn out rather than fall to pieces from my over cooked brain.

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 17: Awkward

Heero hung outside Duo's hospital room, hovered. Unsure of his welcome as he just stood there and listened to Duo talking to Trowa. He had a folder in one hand, the papers Quatre had helped him sort out; the papers Quatre had had the mind to think of.

He had also set up a room at Quatre's estate for them. Two beds, a bathroom, a small living area for dinning and watching TV in and relaxing. It was very odd, like having a small apartment and then realizing it was just a set of rooms inside a much bigger house.

Heero could hear the low baritone of Trowa's voice dancing around the room with Duo's higher, lighter tone. Joking. Teasing each other with wit and quick remarks as they'd used to. Heero had talked to Quatre and learned that Duo had fallen right back into old habits with him, Trowa and Wu Fei as if he'd simply been away on a long trip and Heero couldn't help the surge of jealously. Why couldn't things be that simple between him and Duo? Why did every bump seem so much bigger, every pothole had turned into a land mine and he couldn't get anything right.

The old ease and comfort was gone. Heero couldn't decide if it was because he'd known Duo so intimately or if it was some after effect of being trapped away for so long. But time showed that it must be him, that Duo was adjusting rather well considering the state they'd found him in.

Heero let himself have one big sigh and then tried to erase all his thoughts from his face. He pushed himself through the door, not missing the irony that once it had felt like he couldn't get back to Duo's side fast enough.

"Hey!" Duo looked up instantly, eyes bright and face smiling and Heero felt something loosen in his chest. He wasn't unwelcome, he wasn't about to be forced back out.

"Good Morning Heero." Trowa greeted him and motioned to an empty chair placed near Duo, almost as if the spot had been saved specifically for him rather than conveniently timed.

"Good Morning." Heero greeted them both and took the seat, letting himself give Duo a smile that showed just how happy he was to be there and how much he had missed Duo while he'd been gone.

"Well, I would stick around to see Moe, but I promised Quatre I'd be home soon as Heero showed up. Tell Moe I said hi." Trowa stood and leaned over Duo's bed to put a hand on his shoulder in goodbye. "Don't be too hard on him."

He gave Heero a half way and was gone, out the door. The silence that followed his absence was tight and smelled of bleach.

"You should have brought breakfast, that was I could have played the sick card and had something real to eat instead of the plastic Moe is going to bring me." Duo teased and Heero smiled for him, tried to call back some old comfort that he'd lost somewhere.

But he couldn't, he just couldn't, it might have been the guilt, but Heero was sure it was something else. It didn't help that Duo couldn't leave his hair alone. It was probably unconscious now, but his fingers played with the end of his hair even as they tried to strike up conversation. Like someone petting a lost limb, or reaching for a gun they didn't carry anymore. Heero knew that second part all too well.

"Wu Fei brings breakfast…" Duo had said it so low that Heero had almost missed it, but the words somehow drifted over the space between them to his ears and anger sprung anew in him. His head snapped up and he met Duo's angry eyes and they were caught staring at each other like that when Moe knocked on the doorframe and sang out a greeting to them.

Both men looked away at once with embarrassment and stubbornness etched into their faces as Moe walked in with Duo's morning tray and sat it down on his rolling table for him. Before Moe left she gave an exaggerated sigh and said, loudly enough for them both to hear, "Men!"

"Ok, uncalled for, but why'd you run out like that anyway?" Duo simply jumped into the middle of a conversation Heero wasn't aware they were silently having and surprised him enough to wash away his anger.

"I… didn't mean to." Heero swallowed and fought to keep his voice steady as he explained. "I only meant to step out and get some fresh air, and then, when my head cleared, I was at Quatre's…somehow…"

"Uh-huh." Duo looked surprised himself. But understanding. "Yeah, I've done that. Just spaced, focused on something and woken up miles away."

"So, Quatre just asked me to stay, to work on getting you off the 'deceased' list. He said… I needed the rest." Heero glanced up then, his eyes clearly asking Duo if that had been ok, if that had been the right thing to do.

"Yeah, he was right, you were looking a bit squidgy around the edges." Duo smiled at him, implying with one raised eyebrow that Heero had been one step away from collapse. A look which served to get Heero sitting straighter and opening his mouth to deny exhaustion. "Good thing we've got people looking out for us." Duo smoothed over the insult easily and got a smile for his effort.

"I was running on low fuel." Heero admitted grudgingly.

"Low fuel? I'm surprised you were able to get Relena -" Duo's words caught in his throat and the awkwardness was instantly back. Duo finally looked away. "Damnit." He cursed soundly.

"Duo…" Heero started, moving to the edge of his seat.

"All right, we clearly need to get over this first hurdle before anything else, so I'm gonna talk and you're gonna listen." Heero nodded, reluctant, but shut his mouth and sat with all of his attention on Duo. "I know you and Relena…became a couple after my…supposed death." Duo danced about with his words and then just thought 'to hell with it'. "She used my death to get into your pants and you let her because my death sucked. We both know this, she a manipulative bitch who will go a lot farther than we thought for what she wants."

Heero started too look away in shame, but if Duo could stand to talk about it, the least he could do is give him full eye contact for it.

"I'm mad about that. Of all the arms you could have fallen into I hate that you picked hers. I haven't forgiven you, I don't know if I can… but I know that I can't fault you for trying to move on." Duo took in a big breath and then yelled at him. "But why her, Heero!?"

Heero opened his mouth to answer, but Duo continued. "No, seriously!? I kept told you, I warned you to break your ties with her, warned you what she was capable of! But you didn't believe me! You kept her on that pedestal, the one where she's still the queen of the world and you're her shoulder, her right hand man, and her gun for peace! I can't believe you!" Duo shoved himself backwards into his pillows and concentrated on breathing for a bit before he tried standing and taking a swing at Heero.

"Is it my turn?" Heero's voice was soft and low, tentative, which wasn't like Heero. Duo sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, go."

"I didn't chose to fall into her arms, she was just sort of there all of a sudden, all the time. Everywhere I turned it was either her or something that reminded me of you. She was nothing like you, nothing in her reminded me of you… I hate it, but for even a little while I could escape that… that emptiness, that loss, that utter and complete meaninglessness…it was a blessing. The only time I didn't miss you every moment was when I was with her; was when she distracted me."

"Exactly! You forgot about me with her, you-" Heero spoke over Duo's interruption.

"It's my turn, you just listen." Duo stopped talking, but folded his arms and sulked as he did.

"It's shameful, and I don't expect forgiveness for it, but know that I thought you were dead, and I've never lost someone I cared for so much… I didn't know how to deal with it. So I dealt with it the only way I knew, I locked down my emotions and threw myself into something else. You should know that I never cared for her like I did for you. For me, it was just something to do besides miss you. I didn't feel anything." Heero sat back as Duo had into his chair and they both waited out the silence.

"Ok, so… we've both said our piece. I say we've got that hurdle covered." Duo smiled abruptly and Heero couldn't let it pass.

"But we didn't resolve anything. What happens now? What…" Heero stopped when Duo held up a hand.

"The first hurdle wasn't resolving the Relena thing, it was just acknowledging it." Duo started to pick at his cold breakfast. "If we try and resolve it today we'll be going too fast again. So I'm stopping us here. We both know the others thoughts on it. I think that's enough for now. I'm changing the subject now."

Heero smiled and shook his head. "You're incorrigible."

"I know. Now tell me about that folder. You said something about being off the 'deceased' list?" Duo ate some of his breakfast but decided to hold out for lunch.

Heero started to take him through all the papers, and then they stopped when they remembered that Duo couldn't follow along. So Heero just ended up listing off everything he'd had reactivated and put back into process.

After that they were back to the awkward silence.

"Ok, tell me about the first year. I've been getting stuff form the guys, but everyone has a different story. And you notice stuff that no one else does." Duo smirked.

"I don't deserve this…" Heero's shoulders slumped.

"Hey, don't jump ahead of yourself, I haven't forgiven you, remember." Duo pointed out, "But if we don't talk about something I'm going to go mad…again."

Heero nodded and decided to follow Duo's lead on this. Maybe it was ok to take this at his pace, one step at a time. Next step, get Duo out of the hospital.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine! Gundam Wing isn't one of my many belongings. And doesn't that just suck?

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Yaye! Technically we're one review short of an update, but I'll let it slide since I'm all nice and placated from the turkey and mashed potatoes. So here's a chapter, and in the spirit of the season, I'm grateful to all of you for reading my fics! Thank You!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 18: Exposed

Wu Fei stared at his computer screen and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Couldn't believe his luck, it was simply too easy. After hours and hours of going though interviews and stolen files and recovered disks, after night of little sleep and endless cups of hot tea, this was where his breakthrough was waiting? This was the key?

"She couldn't possibly have been that careless." Wu Fei moved his mouse about, selecting files and bringing them up, one after the other, searching through clip after clip of security footage.

Wu Fei let out a small breath of triumph and irony and then swung his chair around to reach for his phone and quickly dialed Quatre's private line.

Heero had brought breakfast this time; he had fruit, yogurt and juice. It was healthy and properly portioned out, identical to his breakfast only an hour ago. He'd been hesitant, worried about how it appeared, about how it would be received, but then he'd pushed those thoughts aside reminding himself that he and Duo had lived together for years, Duo would remember Heero's habits. Heero could remember eating a fast breakfast with Duo before work.

Duo had favored eggs and toast, sometimes bacon or cereal, but somehow Heero had always found part of his breakfast missing and part of Duo's on his plate in a kind of joking replacement stunt. He'd look up and find Duo's patented 'I'm completely innocent' look in place as he happily munched on Heero's breakfast without cracking a smile.

Heero walked confidently through the halls of the hospital to where Duo was waiting with Trowa. They weren't talking, just sitting and waiting.

"Good morning." Heero greeted them, looking from one to the other in suspicion. He made eye contact with Duo and silently asked him what was going on. Duo just shrugged and moved his eyes towards Trowa as an explanation.

Something was up but Trowa hadn't told Duo what. Heero came around to sit in 'his' chair next to Duo and handed over the bag with the bootlegged breakfast in it and regarded Trowa. Trowa simply looked up, staring back. Heero raised an eyebrow in question to which Trowa replied, "Quatre said he'd be her shortly with Wu Fei. I'm as in the dark as the two of you."

Which neither man believed for a second, it seemed that no matter what, Trowa always seemed to know what was coming, seemed to know secrets that he wouldn't share. Duo just snorted a laugh and went back to eating breakfast.

Duo heard Quatre only a second after Trowa did. All three men in the room simultaneously looked up towards the door, waiting. Instinct telling them when their comrades came into the room that excitement and worry rode in with them. Quatre found Duo's eyes and for a second the worry overcame the excitement, but then vanished and rolled smoothly into an easy smile as he walked over to Trowa and greeted him with a soft kiss.

Wu Fei greeted Duo first, commenting on the fruit and getting a light comment back poking on Heero's obsessive-compulsive behavior. He nodded to Heero and said hello to Trowa while Quatre came over and gave Duo and quick half hug.

"Please tell me you're going to tell us what's going on now." Duo looked from Quatre to Wu Fei expectantly.

Wu Fei looked to Quatre, got a nod, and stepped forward to address them all. "I think we now have enough proof to bring charges against Relena Peacecraft and gain the support of Une."

"Huh?" Duo asked while Heero come to his feet and asked "Really?"

Trowa answered Duo's question, "Ever since we rescued you we've also been searching for a way to bring this while operation to the public eye, to essentially show the world just how unstable Miss Peacecraft is. To show them what she's been doing with their money."

"Une has handed control of the investigation on the prison over to me and I have been searching through their data base that was brought over after we evacuated the staff and prisoners. I have found…" Wu Fei smiled at this, "I found footage of her visiting the prison from the surveillance records. Checking, to see how her prison is being run, and willfully signing papers for testing that are also on record from when they were copied into the mainframe."

"You're kidding." Duo wasn't sure whether to laugh or curse her. It was too easy; she'd made such a classic mistake. Letting herself be caught on camera, signing papers, making rounds, it was as if the whole thing had been set up for her downfall even before her amazing slip with one simple fax.

"I've gone over the footage with Wu Fei, there is more than enough there to bring her down and put her away for years." The irony wasn't lost on any of them, just as she had done to Duo.

"Are we going to go public?" Trowa asked, looking at the faces around him, different expressions looking back at him.

"Well, that's why we're here, Duo?" Quatre turned to his friend, hating what he was about to ask, but also eager. Duo looked up, unsure, more confused than any of them. "Ideally, we could go public right now, get Une's backing and a court date."

"But…" Duo provided for him.

"Well, that would the press down around our ears. Which isn't a bad thing really, if we can give them footage of you leaving the hospital like this," he gestured to Duo's battered appearance of bandages and missing hair, hallow cheeks and dark eyes, "Well, it might sway the public in our favor, start them realizing what Relena's been doing, it could…"

Heero cut Quatre off, "No." He glared at Quatre, "He's been through enough; the last thing Duo needs right now are flashing cameras, reporters, interviews and mobs." It absolutely sang of Heero putting his foot down.

"Heero," Quatre sighed, "I'm sorry, but that's not really your decision to make. Duo isn't totally incapacitated anymore, he's the one who has to make this decision."

Duo instantly felt all eyes fall on him and his adrenaline went from zero to sixty in about two seconds. He felt anxiety crawling up his back and scratch at the base of his skull.

"Ok, whoa." Duo waved his hands in front of him as if warding off their waiting faces, "Time out, ok?"

"Duo…" Heero tried, but Duo shook his head.

"No, Quatre is right, just let me think about it for a minute." Duo lay back into his pillows and closed his eyes, physically cutting himself off from everyone else as much as he could right then. He let his thoughts drift back to all those prisoners he'd seen in the yards, in the work out room, in other operating rooms. Surely he owed it to them to go public as soon as he could. But then his mind went right back around to those few weeks just after the war had ended, all those cameras endlessly circling him and the other pilots. People hounding him all the time, demanding their questions be answered above anyone else's. His mind played tag for a couple of minutes, volleying back and forth like a tennis match between the horrors of the press and the horrors of the prison.

When he opened his eyes again he found everyone still standing around him, but no one was looking at him anymore. They were just there, in the room, waiting. Duo glanced at Heero, saw the strain around his eyes, the set of his shoulders and the fists at his sides, and he hated to do this, but for him, it was really the only option.

"Ok." Duo said, drawing their attention all at one, once again Duo was going to sacrifice everything he had left for others, "I'll do it."

Quatre grinned, but it was strange and wilting around the edges. Trowa nodded, accepting his decision and seeming to say 'I support you' with just his eyes. Heero of course looked upset, but suddenly resolute. He wanted to spare Duo this trial, but if Duo was bound and determined to get through it then he was going to do everything he could to help, which wasn't just a gesture or any small thing. Duo reached out and took Heero's hand, almost scared to, but when Heero took his hand in turn and squeezed it tight Duo smiled and didn't have to say thank you.

Wu Fei spoke into the silence. "We just need to know when you can be discharged and we can set up everything around that. If they see you leaving in a wheel chair, even if it is required, they'll have more fuel for their fire and we can… work that angle."

"Just how 'sick' am I supposed to be?" Duo joked, but the serious look he got back form Wu Fei made him think twice about that question. There was no doubt that if he needed to he could play the press, but what would be the best course to take right now? For that, he looked to Quatre.

"Ah, well, I've thought on that, for a while. We can't make it look too fake or too severe, I don't think the press will really buy either on. But if you… if you play it just a little, make yourself seem weaker than you are, more strained by these injuries, I think it'll play in our favor." Quatre shrugged, knowing that Duo could pull it off better than any of them.

"Right. So we just need to talk to the doctor and then we can bring down the princess." Duo smiled up at them. He felt Heero tighten his hold on his hand and Duo realized his hand had been fighting to get free of the grip… free to search the empty air for hair that wasn't there anymore. Yeah, he defiantly wasn't going to have any trouble playing for the press, not when it was all going to be half-truth.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't think I own anything anymore, let alone Gundam Wing… they stole everything worth anything when they broke into my car!

APOLOGIES ALL AROUND! I know you all are used to more frequent updates, and even though I did post an x-mas story, it doesn't make up for being so late! I plead the raping of my car! So here is a chapter! Thanks for your support and here's to Minion Emily and Pikeebo! Thanks for theencouragment!And everyone else who reminds me that I am doing a good job! I love my readers!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 19: Desperation 

Duo felt slightly sick to his stomach. And not all of it had to do with his leaving the hospital in an hour. He had realized the night before, somewhere in the early hours of the morning that this was going to be his first time outside in almost five years. It was going to be his first time not in a hospital room or in the prison. His first time really and truly free. If he wanted to he could just walk out the doors and disappear into the crowds.

He remembered how to, he could just fade away and not have to deal with any of this. In truth, he was a free man. Free to leave, to stay, to talk, or to remain silent. It wasn't that he didn't want to stay; it was simply the pure fact that he had options. Options he hadn't had in four and a half years.

Duo wrung his hands, and then gave in to the urge to play with the end of his hair. He was watching Heero closely, just a few feet away talking to a nurse. He was already to go, dressed and everything. They weren't his clothes, but he was more afraid to ask about what they'd done with his stuff after four and a half years rather than complain about how weird he felt in the borrowed shirt and pants. 

Besides, the other pilots would be here shortly; he wouldn't have to face any of this alone. But Duo still couldn't keep anxiety from swimming around in his bloodstream. It was as if something were trying to strangle him from the inside out.

Duo fought to keep his mind on the present. He watched Heero so closely to remind himself that this was real, that he was going home. Well, not home exactly. More like a safe house. Quatre's home, Quatre and Trowa's home where he could be safe and could be somewhere that didn't smell of disinfectant and disease. 

Heero finished talking to the nurse and returned to Duo's side. "Almost ready, how are you doing?"

Duo forced a smile and looked up at him. "Other than the gnawing pain in the pit of my stomach I'm doing just fine." Duo said straight-faced.

Instantly Heero's face went from calm and reassuring to worried and anxious.

"Just nerves Heero." Duo quickly said, realizing just how his words could be taken given where he was. "I just don't want to be in this hospital anymore."

Heero's face relaxed and went back to reassuring. "Soon." He said, as if to remind Duo and himself. "The doctor should be by soon with the release papers and then we'll get you out of here to the car Quatre has waiting out front."

Duo flinched slightly at these words, no doubt there were already waiting reporters, he didn't have to see the tension sitting firmly in Heero's shoulders to know that. And there would be more soon enough, soon as the word got out that this wasn't a publicity stunt or tabloid news.

Duo took steadying breaths and played with his hair. He jumped a little when Heero's hands reached up and pulled his hands away, squeezing them with a smile. Duo ducked his head a little in apology and bemoaned the loss of his music while they waited; the player that Heero had brought him had been packed away already. It would have clamed him down if he'd had something soothing to listen to right about now.

But the doctor showed up fairly quickly and then Duo found himself facing something he hadn't anticipated, the writing of his signature. He had the pen poised, waited for the muscles in his hand to know what to do, but he just sat there and stared at the empty line while silence stretched around him.

The knowledge hit the doctor and Heero at the same time. The doctor looked embarrassed to have forgotten about Duo's missing memories and Heero looked ready to spit nails at the doctor.

"I simple scrawl or X will suffice. I'll make a note and we'll have Mr. Yuy sign as a witness." The doctor watched Heero nervously as Duo decided on a long scrawl. He assured himself by reminding himself that most signatures looked like that anyway.

The doctor then watched Heero sign the form and gave them both a nervous smile. "That's it. You're free to leave Mr. Maxwell." He motioned to a nurse that had been waiting just outside the door with a wheel chair and on cue the nurse pushed it in. Heero took it from the male nurse straight away and glared at him till his smile faded and he skirted away out the door after the doctors hasty retreat.

"No need to be Mr. Glare-of-death yet Heero." Duo let himself enjoy a low laugh as he accepted Heero's help to get into the chair. Heero sort of grunted and focused on getting Duo into the chair.

Duo could feel the muscles in his arms and legs protesting, too much rest making him lethargic when really he'd always thought it should really do the opposite. He'd taken something for the headache he'd woken up with, but Duo could feel it gathering strength behind his eyes as Heero pushed him towards the elevator down the hall. He wondered it if it would have naturally gotten worse on its own or if it was his anxiety that was making it fit to burst out of his skull.

Duo did feel a big surge of relief when Quatre came round the corner with Wu Fei and Trowa in tow just before he and Heero reached the elevator. Quatre gave him a big smile and Duo had to return it.

"Hey, you ready?" Quatre asked as they all boarded the elevator, the other pilots forming a horseshoe around him. Duo felt almost protected sitting there and his resolve jumped in his chest, reminding him of his 'mission'.

"Sure?" Duo laughed and was glad when Quatre laughed with him. Heero would have just given him worried eyes if he'd said that to him.

The elevator dinged and Duo watched the doors open before him and then he was being blinded.

Duo choked as he sat there with light hiding the room from him, he could hear all the voices, all the questions. He could feel the temperature rising. Duo jerked and realized that Aykan didn't have him tied down this time! Foolish man! Duo started to stand, if he moved fast enough he could snap the mad doctors neck and be out into the hall running for the exit through the left hall before the alarm was sounded! He could-

Duo jumped as a hand slammed down on his shoulder and an all too familiar tight grip held him in place, sitting in his wheel chair. The world around Duo snapped back into focus and Duo realized just how fast he was breathing, how wide his eyes felt and how tightly he was holding on to the arms of the wheel chair. He was already poised to bolt out of the chair if Heero's hand hadn't stopped him.

Heero's voice came low next to his ear, reinforcing the present reality further into his mind. "It's all right. I've got your back."

Duo nodded fast and tried to take deeper breaths. He looked around and saw the reporters behind the flashing lights of the camera and searched his memory for an old skill he'd always relied on. He was pleasantly surprised when he found it there, just waiting for him to pull it out. Still in perfect working order… unlike his memory for words.

Duo singled out a woman and smiled big at her. She looked surprised for a moment and then smiled real big back. Other reporters paused to turn and see who he was smiling at and it was just enough time for the woman to ask a question and then everyone else shut up to hear his answer.

"Duo Maxwell, you've been presumed dead for the past four years and six months, there was a proper burial and a ceremony to mark your passing, where have you been?"

Duo felt triumph leap and dance in his heart and his stomach pains faded as if they'd never been. "Well, if you want to know the truth, I've been locked away in Relena Peacecraft's very private, very secret prison these past years. And I wasn't alone."

Instantly he was assaulted with more questions and the cameras went off with a vengeance. Duo rubbed his head, worrying at the bandages as his headache warred on with his will to do what was right, and more cameras went off. Oh yeah, this was just what the doctor ordered!

Trowa saw only a glimpse of her a first. So quick and just off to the side of some reporters that his first thought was that he'd imagined it. That she couldn't possibly be here. But after that, he was looking for her. Keeping an eye out. 

And when he saw her again there was no doubt and he was tracking her through the crowd. She moved easily, weaving in and out of reporters with their photographers close at hand snapping away at their flash boxes. Trowa felt the muscles in his back go tight in anticipation as he realized that she was making her way ever closer to them. To Duo.

Trowa reached out with one hand to lightly touch Quatre's hand, tapping it twice. Quatre was close to him already and they'd agreed on a touch signal to get attention while in the midst of the reporters. Quatre turned to look at him instantly, even as he directed a few of his men to clear a path to the car since he'd noticed Duo tiring.

"What is it?" Quatre asked quietly, Trowa had only been able to hear him while reading his lips at the same time.

"Woman. Tall, five nine. Brown ponytail, black eyes, green blouse and black slacks. Scar under her right eye." Trowa said quickly and then made a slight head movement towards Wu Fei, silently telling Quatre to tell him while he kept an eye on the woman and then moved closer to Duo and Heero.

He moved silently up to flank Duo, leaning in close to Heero at the same time. He was going to get them out of there now, but she'd seen him move.

She'd been watching him since she'd recognized him as the one who had seen her that one day when Miss Peacecraft had struck her after allowing him to leave. She ground her teeth and when she saw him moving to get the invalid mistake into the waiting car she decided that she had to make her move now or go back in failure.

So Jackie, a mercenary of five years, darted forward through the crowd of reporters, ducking low, using their mass against her target and pulled a serrated knife from her boot. Her target, a Gundam Pilot. An ex-pilot surrounded by the only others of his kind. Five of them, all grouped together. The best of the best. No one she knew measured up to them.

So Jackie was prepared when she came up face to face with Trowa Barton, the tall one with the hair that was always in front of his eyes. She fell back on what Conner had told her, she hit his left knee with her boot and pulled the knife across his arm that was making a grab for her. She twisted away, turning full round so that she was facing forward directly in the path of the wheelchair and Duo Maxwell would see her triumph as her knife came down across his throat. She evaded the grabbing hands of the tall pilot and felt adrenaline pump through her as she turned and brought her knife up.

She wouldn't fail this time. They wouldn't fail this time. They were a perfect team. They'd killed him once, they could…

Heero stared down into the shocked face of the woman with the brown ponytail. Trowa's touch warning had been just enough so that when he'd purposefully taken a hit to his arm Heero had had time to pull Duo back and put himself between him and where his attacker was planning to be. She was looking up at him openmouthed and he could all but read her thoughts on her face. She knew she'd made a mistake and Heero watched triumph turn to shock turn to desperation.

Heero went after her when she dropped straight to the floor, but the desperation had thrown him. She had looked absolutely terrified to fail and then the resolved desperation had set off every alarm Heero had, he was one moment too slow.

Jackie fell to the ground, not caring to stop her head from hitting cement, only making sure that her knife flew from her hand and straight at Duo Maxwell. She hit the ground and her vision erupted into white blinding pain and then faded to gray and then to black. She didn't see Duo's hand shoot out in a reflex of years of training to grab the blade that was headed straight at his throat.

Duo's hand snapped shut around the blade and he froze as the serrated edge slashed into his palm. The air around them turned into a never-ending string of flashing lights that reminded Duo of Christmas lights. He stared at his hand in surprise, ignoring the lights and the pain and just stared in wonder at the knife he'd stopped.

He could hear voices yelling, he recognized the voice of cops vaguely and the sound of doctors even more, but it wasn't until Wu Fei took the knife from him that he looked up in search of Heero. His head darted around; he'd lost Heero when he'd looked down, now he couldn't find him. In desperation he turned to Wu Fei and tried to keep his mind there while Wu Fei shouted orders to people he didn't have the attention for and pushed him forwards towards the car they had been headed for in the first place.

"Wrap your shirt around that and put pressure on it Maxwell!" Wu Fei snapped at him as they pushed past reporters yelling questions at him. Wu Fei's familiar voice served to snap him back to reality and Duo did as he was told, even as he kept his eyes on Wu Fei, waiting for Heero to come back into his line of vision.

Because he would. He would, he said he would, he'd promised. Duo swallowed hard, the edges of his peripheral vision were glaring with the flash of cameras and he could feel panic rising up in his throat. As he was being pushed into the back of a car Duo couldn't help it when Heero's name passed in question over his lips. He looked around, desperate, and called again, Quatre appeared, shutting the door and Duo let out a cry. Several reporters started asking how much pain he was in. Was it his head? Was it his hand? Had the attacker succeeded in hitting him with the knife? Did this tie in with his story about a secret prison? Did he want to name the person behind this attack? Was it Relena Peacecraft?

Duo's wide eyes shot up as Heero finally pushed his way through the reporters that were practically trying to crawl into the car with them and shoved Quatre back towards the hospital and got in shutting the door behind him. In the front seat, Wu Fei ordered the driver to get them out of there and then Heero's hands were on his face.

Duo looked up into the angry cobalt eyes and flinched.

"It's alright Duo. Look at me. It's over now." Heero took hold of his hand and took over applying pressure. Duo shivered at the pain. He was also dizzy and a headache was trying to overcome him. But he wasn't about to pass out in the car. Behind all the fear and desperation Duo felt a wonderfully familiar anger surge through his veins, beating in time with his heart. An odd feeling since he was very aware of its steady pulse in his palm where Heero was squeezing the wound shut.

"Quatre is going to stay with Trowa at the hospital, He said to go on without them and someone at the estate with take care of this." Heero was saying, his steady voice was a soothing balm to Duo's nerves. Duo nodded and made sure his body kept in contact with Heero's while they drove and he ignored everything outside the windows.

"Five minutes." Wu Fei said over the front seat. Heero grunted a confirmation and looked back into Duo's eyes.

"Are you ok?" Duo wanted to snap back that, obviously, he was absolutely not ok, when a thought crossed him.

"She sent them to kill me again." Heero frowned, deep and hard, making Duo cringe a little as his hand tightened its grip on his.

"She did not succeeded, and she will not. Ever." Heero growled low and it sent a shiver down Duo's skin.

"She could have just told them I was crazy, she could have pulled out any number of lies, but she sent them again." Duo spoke his thoughts out loud and then interrupted Heero when he was about to try and soothe his fears again. "Heero, she's afraid."

"What?" Heero asked, glancing through the front window, checking to see how close they were to the estate.

"Heero, she knows she can't win." Duo got Heero's attention back on him and smiled. Heero looked surprised, thoughtful and then smiled back at Duo.

"We got her." Heero smirked. Duo sighed happily relieved and leaned forward to rest his head on Heero's shoulder.

"Good. Because I am so ready for all this to be over!" Duo let the dizzy spell wash over him, willing himself to stay awake.

"Soon, Duo." Heero stroked his back with his free hand. "Soon." But even as he made his promise, even as the words passed his mouth to caress the skin of Duo's neck Heero knew, desperate people were the most dangerous.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Me…own Gundam Wing

Disclaimer: Me…own Gundam Wing!? Oh, you're funny!! Ha, ha! I wish! If only…if only…

Wow, ok, so I checked my e-mail and was BOMBARDED with reviews! LOL! Thanks everyone!! So here we go; Spring Break is the only reason I can get you this update so quickly.

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 20: Assassination 

"You Idiots!" Relena yelled in the face of a tall blonde man with a permanent five o'clock shadow. He was nearly three times as wide as her across the shoulders, towering over her. His limp blonde hair hanging over his forehead, as if dropping down, trying to reach his eyes, and his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, the burn scars on his knuckles stretching with the movement.

"Of all the reckless, idiotic, stupid-" The man, Conner, cut her off with a raised hand, trying to calm the woman he had to call boss.

"Jackie made a mistake. It won't happen again." He motioned to a man behind her, but her eyes never left him as someone moved behind her.

"Oh, you all say that! You all say that right before you mess up again!" Relena screamed. She wanted to slap him, but she was well aware of how futile that would be, she could barely reach his face anyway.

"Miss Peacecraft, you misunderstand me." Conner soothed. Relena sneered up at him, as if his mere presence were an affront to her senses. But he ignored her upturned nose and smiled at Cord who had come up to stand next to the princess without ever making a sound. "Cord here is going to take care of Jackie and then Justin will find us a way to get rid of this bur in your side."

Relena turned on her heal to stare up at the man called Cord and the young man who also stepped forward; Justin, apparently.

Cord towered over her; he stood almost even with Conner. His hair was short, brown and spiked and he smiled down at her. The smile twisted his face and accented the scar running form the corner of his right eye down to the top of his lips. Relena didn't like that smile and quickly turned to Justin.

Justin was the youngest of the group. He stood even with Heero before her. But his hair was down to his shoulders, straight and black. She'd seen him usually with it pulled back, but today it swung forward and darkened the shadows on his face making his smile menacing. Not like Cord's but dangerous all on its own. She of course remembered his tattoos thought, two bar codes, one on the back of each of his hands, just under the knuckles. 

"What do you mean? 'take care of Jackie'?" Relena turned back to Conner, she really only liked dealing with him or Jackie, the others were too much like the men she'd put away to protect the public. The only reason she let them go was because Conner was there to rein them in.

"Jackie failed. There's only one penalty for failure." Conner nodded to Cord and Relena whipped around to watch him leave. The mercenary David laughed from his corner, watching them all. When he saw the woman's eyes on him he dragged his finger slowly across his throat and watched her turn white. He laughed and left her standing there; watching the door Cord had gone through.

"I'm fine Quatre." Trowa reassured his lover yet again as they walked towards the room where the female mercenary was being held. His arm was wrapped up over the seven stitches it had taken to close his arm back up after the woman had laid it open with her knife. He'd taken the hit on purpose, but that didn't ease the pain. 

Quatre sighed heavily, saying without words that he didn't think Trowa was at all fine, but just kept walking by his side as they came to the Preventor guards posted at the woman's door.

Both men flashed their badges and were admitted through the door to find the woman sitting up and awake with her arms crossed over her chest and a firm look on her face. She stared at them, tracking their movement with her eyes. The set of her shoulders only emphasized the reports on her so far that had her lips sealed. She wasn't talking to anyone. Not even to give them her name or an emergency contact.

It was an unspoken given that she was a mercenary, even in a time when such jobs weren't supposed to exist anymore, it was obvious. Trowa hated the flashbacks the woman's attitude alone was giving him, but it was also an advantage that they intended to use. He wasn't sure exactly what the other Preventors though he was going to do, but they expected something.

Unfortunately for them, it was because of his background that Trowa knew it was probably useless to try and get this woman to talk. He'd already given a statement on how he'd seen her at Miss Peacecraft's home on the day he'd gone to collect Heero's things for him. That was all the information they had to go on.

Someone had suggested asking Duo if he'd recognized the woman as one of the mercenaries that had set up his death, but Quatre had overruled that and shut out the option right away. They'd already been on the phone to check and see that everyone had gotten home all right and been seen to by the doctors there. Duo's palm had needed three stitches, but there had been no nerve damage. 

"How is your head?" Quatre broke the silence, the woman snapped her eyes over to look at him, but didn't answer.

"She won't answer." Trowa sighed and leaned back against the wall in anticipation of how long they were going to be there. The woman flicked her gaze over to him and then back on Quatre. She saw him as more of a threat. It was well spotted. Trowa didn't even really feel like talking to her let alone interrogating her. Quatre however, would be the one to try the hardest to get her to slip.

"That was a nasty fall you took. You should be glad we were right outside the hospital. You could have died waiting for an ambulance." Quatre watched her, waiting for some clue to pass over her face.

"She doesn't care." Trowa scoffed.

"Thank you, but I think I can figure it out without the commentary." Quatre tossed over his shoulder, frustrated with his lover's passive attitude.

"I'm just saying, this is pretty much useless. She won't say anything, she won't betray herself or her team." Trowa shrugged. "Those are the rules. You fall behind, you get left behind."

Quatre stood up straight and snapped around to regard Trowa. "You're not helping." He hissed between his teeth, but the room was so small and quiet he might just as well have yelled.

Trowa watched the woman behind him though, while his lover walked over to whisper harshly at him, he watched her face as she stared at him. He perplexed her. He could see it in her eyes. That he knew the rules made her question how she had first pegged him. That was precisely what he wanted.

She was questioning now. Questioning what she knew was coming next. She'd be held, questioned. But they couldn't force anything out of her. Not only was she too strong for that, but also it wasn't wartime anymore. There were rules in place once more to protect prisoners from ill treatment.

He knew all her thoughts, had been where she was now. What he needed was to throw her completely off, make her think she had a secret ally in him. Trowa smirked at her while Quatre tried to push him out the door. She blinked at him, her mask slipping, and one eyebrow up in confusion. Trowa let Quatre push him out; he'd come back later and talk at her, maybe get a response somehow.

"What are you doing?" Quatre demanded. Trowa sighed and brought his hand down on top of his partner's head.

"It's ok, I was setting her up." That served to shut Quatre up. He looked up at Trowa, back at the room and then back again at Trowa. Trowa let out a breath of a laugh through his nose and then pulled on the back of Quatre's neck.

"Come on, lets go get something to eat and then we'll come back and I'll talk to her." Quatre started to protest, but Trowa cut him off, "You haven't eaten all day, love. You're going to make yourself sick with worry. And we don't want a repeat of the fried chicken incident."

The comment served to make Quatre blush and let Trowa lead him down the hall. Trowa smiled to himself and pointed them in the direction of the cafeteria.

Cord watched the two exploits pass him, pretending to read a bulletin on a board posted in the hospital hallway. He smiled to himself and turned easily to walk towards the doors behind which Jackie was being held. He changed his gait to one with purpose and gave the guards a slightly bored smile. He pulled out a Preventors badge and flashed it to them. They gave him the go ahead and then Cord and Jackie were staring at each other across the small room.

Jackie was floored by the appearance of her teammate and hope sprung anew in her breast as she recognized him through the costume of street clothes. Relief surged through her and softened her facial expression, smoothing out the wrinkles and letting her shoulders slump. She started to move, ignoring the pull on the stitches at the back of her head, and then realized that he didn't have clothes for her. He didn't have any of the things that were required of a rescue mission. 

In fact, his presence was a message in and of itself. To send Cord, the only thing worse would have been if Conner had sent David. But Cord, well, she fell back into the pillow behind her. This was it for her. She'd been prepared for this the whole time, and now that it was really here all she could do was sigh and look up at him. She wished faintly that it had been Conner, not Cord. But Conner's presence would have given her even more hope, that's probably why he hadn't come.

Jackie waited, looking up at Cord, accepting it all as he reached into his light jacket and pulled out a sealed syringe. She flinched a little at the thought of going out so quietly, but she reminded herself of why this was necessary. Her failure.

She'd let down the team, she'd, in essence, betrayed them. Her training, the long hours they'd spent perfecting their skills, the promise they'd made to their clients to be perfect. She'd ruined it all. A simple assassination. Perfect conditions, perfect target, it had all been set up for her. And now, here she was, caught, injured and a threat to the team.

She knew she'd never betray them, not willingly. Just like they knew it, that she wouldn't, that in her place none of them would either. But it was a risk none of them would take, not even her. Jackie knew that she had to be eliminated. For the sake of the team, for the sake of their client. She couldn't be left alive, a lose end. It was a condition they'd all agreed upon. 

And now it was her time, the first one to go. Oh, how David would gloat. He'd always claimed that she was a threat to the group on the mere basis that she was a woman. Wasn't as strong, wasn't as quick, wasn't as precise as the rest of them, that she was a weak link. And here she'd gone and proved him right.

"Goodbye little sister." Cord smiled at her as he picked up her arm and turned it over to expose the inside of her elbow. But there was no affection in the phrase, simply words passing his lips. 

Jackie sucked in her breath as the needle passed under her skin and slipped into her vein. It lay there, and then he was pushing down with his thumb and the clear liquid was passing through the hollow tube in to join with her blood. Mixing painfully so that she wanted to pull back but didn't. She lay there and watched his face while he pulled out a syringe and stood straight again.

He stared down at her, waiting for her to pass. It was only proper. Make sure the mark was dead, always make sure. Jackie felt slightly warm, her fingers and feet tingled and she felt light as a feather. The light blanket on her was too heavy, was holding her down. She gazed up at Cord drowsily and smiled for him, hoping that he'd tell Conner how good she had been. How she'd been a true merc up until the end.

She closed her eyes and let what felt like a nice, deep sleep take her. They'd been kind, or they'd been practical, so as not to cause her to kick and scream and bring others to see what was going on. She decided that they'd been nice, that Conner had-

Cord let a snort of air pass through his nose and then turned and left his dead teammate behind. Jackie was no more to him. Now he was one of four. Time to figure out how they were going to kill Duo Maxwell.

The Preventor guard came crashing though the cafeteria doors at a run, searching out Quatre and Trowa and finding them quickly. 

"Sirs! Man… came in….left a five minutes ago…went in to check…" Trowa stared at the man, confused by his speech which was spaced with gasping breaths and what appeared to be fear. "She's dead!"

Both Quatre and Trowa were on their feet and headed for the doors even as they started barking questions at the guard.

"Did you run a messenger to security to ask for the tapes?" Trowa asked.

"Yes sir" the guard answered.

"Did you check the perimeter for weapons or incendiary devices?" Quatre asked.

"Yes sir" The guard fought to keep up with them.

"Have you told commander Une yet?" Trowa asked.

"No sir." The guard stumbled; daunted with the task he was sure Trowa was going to ask of him.

"Good, leave that to me." Trowa pushed open the door to the mercenary woman's room.

Quatre reached out and snagged the woman's wrist and felt for her heartbeat. He found only silence beneath her skin; she was already heavy with Death, there was no mistaking her state for sleeping.

"Have you determined the cause yet?" Quatre asked the man.

"Charles said it was a lethal injection, just there, on the inside of her right arm." He pointed out the small mark that the absent Charles had spotted. 

Quatre looked down at it, holding up her arm for Trowa to see as well. Trowa shook his head sadly. He'd thought of this, but he hadn't thought that they'd act so fast. And he'd foolishly believed that the posted guards would have been enough. He should have known better, these were the mercs that had 'killed' Duo after all.

"Shit." Quatre cursed, his cheeks pinked with embarrassment and frustration. Trowa sighed and pulled out his cell phone to call Commander Une while Quatre took out his to call Heero.

The ring of Heero's cell phone made Duo jerk awake and twist under the blanket pulled up over him. He turned to find Heero's face right next to him, his body very close to his on the bed, but on top of the covers. Duo stared while Heero answered his phone and rolled over onto his back. He was still fully dressed; apparently he'd lain down beside Duo after he'd put him to bed in the rooms provided by Quatre.

Duo blushed and hid his face beneath the blanket to hide his blush. Heero had been right there the whole time. No wonder he'd slept just fine without his music.

"Shit." Heero suddenly cursed.

"What is it?" Duo asked, pulling away the blanket and giving his attention over to the half conversation he was hearing between Heero and Quatre. Heero held up his hand for Duo to wait a moment and then asked Quatre a few more questions.

"When?" Duo had only known it was Quatre because Heero had mouthed the name to him silently while he'd still been trying to figure out why Heero was on his bed.

"That soon? Have you told the commander?" Now he was just antsy to know what was going on.

"Wu Fei?" It looked serious, especially from all the names that Heero was spouting out. Quatre and Trowa were still at the hospital…had something happened to Trowa?

"Yes, I'll tell him." That would suck. But Duo was sure that they'd called already, earlier today, to check on him. Everything had been all right then.

"Yes, we're fine. Wu Fei is watching, just in case." Duo could tell the conversation was coming to and end now; Heero looked weary, but was relaxing back into the bed, letting the phone sag next to his ear.

"Yes, just keep us informed." Heero grunted and then hung up the phone.

"What is it?" Duo asked, unable to wait any longer.

"The woman who attacked you was killed less than an hour ago." Heero said bluntly. "Someone came into her room and injected her with an unknown poison."

Duo's eyes went wide at the unexpected news. "Oh." He said. He thought on it and then shuddered. "Tying up a lose end." Heero nodded, confirming that he had thought of it too.

"Who are these people!?" Duo scrubbed his eyes. He remembered a few things about them, the woman had been familiar. The scar under her eye, he remembered staring at it while she taunted him and reminded the others that teeth were needed.

Heero's arms were a surprise, but a welcome comfort. Duo hadn't felt a thing for her, had wished her dead. But to be killed so suddenly, so easily by her own teammates. Wasn't that sad?

"Don't think about it." Heero admonished, as if he could read Duo's thoughts. 

Duo tried to find sleep again, but it was a hard time coming. He finally just concentrated on hearing Heero's heart beat and breathing in his scent. He couldn't think about the female mercenary, couldn't think about how cruelly she'd been killed without remembering that there were four other men out there after him.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Need I state it again

Disclaimer: Need I state it again? Ok, once more, with feeling! I don't own Gundam Wing!!

Wah! School is now over! Let's celebrate with a new chapter!! Enjoy. For once again I am blind in my writing, I have no clue where this is going! LOL! Weee! Update!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 21: Panic

Duo woke but did not open his eyes, he waited, knowing that the buzzer would sound soon and he wanted to relax just a little bit longer.

His day would start with a bathroom trip, a shower depending on what day it was and then breakfast. All routine, what Duo was hoping for was a workout day rather than a day in Aykan's lab. He was already itching to move, even as he tried to enjoy his last few minutes. It felt like he hadn't moved for days.

Maybe he hadn't, Duo thought it over. Sometimes he lost time when he was in Aykan's operation room, maybe he hadn't moved in days. Hell, he might even still be Aykan's lab. Except that it didn't feel like one of the prisons OR's. The smells and sounds were off. It felt more like his cell. For one thing, the bed was more comfortable than an OR table, warmer and softer. He didn't hear the hollow sound of the AC blowing through the metal ducts. And there was the absent smell of bleach.

Duo shifted, he was getting antsy now, just how early had he woken? He usually woke just a few minutes before the warning buzzer that woke all the inmates.

"Duo?" The voice of another person in his cell set off every alarm Duo had. No one should be in his cell, especially not before the buzzer.

Duo flipped over and brought his hand around to grab hold of the intruder. He got hold of an arm and two things happened at once. His hand screamed in protest across his palm and his eyes snapped open to find Heero Yuy looking up at him with wide eyes.

Duo let go abruptly, his hand throbbed and his other one relaxed out of its ready fist. But mostly Duo was staring at Heero in shock and confusion. What was Heero doing in his cell? How had he gotten in?

Duo already knew this wasn't one of his hallucinations or dreams, he'd had a hold of Heero only moment ago and he was real enough. Had been solid beneath his hand. So then was this a rescue mission? Had Relena shoved Heero in here too? Were all the pilots criminals now? But then the question of how Heero had gotten into his cell was raised again.

And then, there was the whole other matter of why hadn't Heero reacted when he'd drawn back his fist to strike the intruder in his cell. Heero had just lain there, eyes wide, waiting to see what Duo would do.

Lain there on the bed with him. His bunk? No, the bed was too big to be his bunk. Duo looked around, taking in the room he was in and the Queen sized bed he was on, where Heero was laying next to him, watching him closely.

Duo turned and his hair swung into his face. The sight of it allowed something to click into place in Duo's memory and his eyes cleared to surprise, whipping away all signs of confusion.

"I'm sorry Heero." Duo exclaimed as he sat up quickly. He saw Heero visibly relax and cursed himself for scaring him.

"It's all right Duo." Heero assured him, trying not to let his worry show on his face and failing. Duo cringed.

"Forgot." He admitted, though it didn't really need to be said. Duo let a big sigh pass over his lips and he sat up completely, rubbing sleep from his eyes while trying to shake the uneasy feeling that thrashed about in his stomach. He was in Quatre's house, he was safe and Aykan was dead. But the sense of being out of place, of having a freedom that didn't feel real left him slightly queasy and tingly. The surroundings around him weren't what he expected to see and it made everything surreal.

"Are you ok?" Heero's voice almost made him jump, but Duo squashed that feeling down and turned to give Heero an only slightly unsure smile.

"Yeah, I'm ok now." Duo lied easily, out of habit really. Heero looked unconvinced, but Duo pushed on, not allowing Heero time to see beyond his façade. "Shower?"

"Through there." Heero motioned towards a door in the far wall, then he pointed over to another door, "Quatre said there's clothes in the closet."

Duo nodded and stood, "Good, I need to wash my hair." Duo let his voice fill with laughter and padded around the room, trying to grasp hold of an old familiarity that just wasn't there. He remembered a time, vaguely, when he'd been easy and at home in Quatre's house, when he'd been with Heero. But now, now he felt stiff and very conscious of his body. Duo pulled out jeans and a light blue button down shirt and shut himself in the bathroom. This time he kept the sigh he felt in his chest were it was, it wouldn't do him any good to go around sighing, letting everyone know just how off kilter he was.

Duo got in the shower and decided, as he was washing his hair, that since he'd had a routine at the prison, ground into him for four and a half years, that he just needed to find his routine here. If he could train himself to fit in here then this uneasy feeling would go away and things could go back to the way they were supposed to be. Duo smiled to himself, the mere thought of being comfortable with Heero again let something loosen in his chest.

Duo finished his shower and dried off and got dressed. He came back out into the bedroom to Heero's surprised face while he was talking on the phone in the room. Probably talking to Wu Fei, but why was he looking at him funny? Duo bit his bottom lip and waited for Heero to be done. He was hungry. He should have already eaten by now. What time was it anyway?

Heero watched Duo waiting. It was the fastest shower Duo had taken since the war. When showers had been scarce and rushed due to supply and demand, Duo had always been quick. But Heero remembered being surprised by how long Duo allowed himself to indulge into a shower when the war was over. It had always seemed to him that Duo was making up for all the times when he couldn't enjoy a hot shower, that he was reveling in the pure enjoyment of being clean and refreshed.

But just now, he'd been in and out of the bathroom in under fifteen minutes. Heero finished his talk with Wu Fei and decided to let it go for now, right now Duo probably needed food.

Duo rolled back the sleeves of his shirt as he followed Heero out of the room and into a hallway that led out into a foyer where stairs indicated a whole other story. Duo looked up and blinked hard when his mind tried to place cameras and security glass around him. His mind kept trying to surround him with familiarity, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, familiarity lately lie with prison schedules and security. Duo bit the inside of his cheek and forced himself to follow Heero without changing his gait or looking around him like he wanted to.

His eyes itched to search the premises and mark all his exits and the back of his head tingled as if someone were watching him, and he just kept telling himself that he was safe here, that he was safe with Heero, that this wasn't prison.

"Quatre's already left for work, he was called in for a board meeting, but I think Trowa is back." Heero offered over his shoulder as he lead the two of them into a small dining room. But small by Quatre's standards reminded Duo of a dining hall with one long table.

Trowa was there, just coming out of the kitchen with a full plate, giving Heero and Duo a smile as he pulled out a chair and sat.

"Join me, there is food laid out in the kitchen and plates, help yourselves." Trowa motioned to the door behind him.

Duo gave him the best smile he could while his eyes kept trying to leap to the windows to see what was outside. He followed Heero and grabbed a white porcelain plate. _See_, he told himself, _nothing like prison, just a normal breakfast in the Winner house_. But the buffet style line up of food had him scooping out small portions of food and his mind quickly started to calculate.

Protein, carbohydrates, vitamins D and C, correct portions, everything he needed for a workout and enough energy in case he was called in for labs for anything Aykan could throw at him. Duo ignored the other prisoners and proceeded to find a seat, keeping the feet of the person in front of him in view in his peripheral vision. He found a seat easily and started eating. He didn't have to rush, but he didn't want to linger here too long. There were a few men here who knew him for his braid and took offence to his very presence. He didn't need another fight to lead to solitary time. He had enough of that on his own without help.

Duo finished and started to get up to take his tray to the turn in counter and felt a hand on his arm. Duo instantly picked up his fork and turned on the inmate with a growl. He raised the fork and spoke quickly as he brought it down, intending to scare the guy, not really stab him. He just wanted to be left alone.

"Let go now or lose your hand scum. You don't want to do this, trust me!" Duo stopped short of Heero's face and found surprise and fear there. Duo's eyes went wide and the fork dropped from his hand. His eyes flicked up and found Trowa's eyes on him, just as concerned and wide.

"Shit." Duo cursed soundly and backed off quickly, shaking off Heero's hand. "Sorry, sorry!" Duo rubbed his eyes firmly and felt a headache pound to life behind his eyes. "I'll… be right… sorry." Duo turned and went back the way he and Heero had come, round the stairs, their room was just down the hall on the right.

He just needed to get there, needed to get his head on straight, and needed time to…to what? What was wrong with him? Sure, he'd been practically formatted to a schedule in the prison, but he was out now. They didn't have that power over him anymore…they didn't!

Duo stumbled on a rug as he rounded the corner and slammed into the wall. He grumbled and jerked his head up and…

And there he was. Staring back at him down the hall. Smiling, hands in pockets, wearing that stupid white coat over his shirt and tie. Shiny shoes gleaming at the floor. His head tilted to one side and a smile broke out over his face. His hair slid out of his face, revealed his eyes, the twitch in his left eye that wouldn't go away.

Duo felt his back go rigid and his hands turn into fists at his side.

"You!" Duo started walking towards him, the long hall creating the tunnel vision he would have gotten anyway with such a prey in sight.

"What?" Aykan asked, confused, probably because Duo was out of his cell, away from the guards that escorted him everywhere. Not even wearing his cuffs.

Well, Duo would fix that confusion pretty soon; soon enough Aykan wouldn't be able to make any kind of expression. Duo picked up speed, his feet going faster as Aykan froze in place, fear finally dawning on his face as he realized there was no one here to stop Duo this time. Duo felt his own crazed smile and knew it was nothing like Aykan's. His was cold and cruel, the smile of a killer, not of a crazed lunatic with an endless supply of guinea pigs.

"No, wait!" Aykan tried, Duo was so close now! Duo reached out and grabbed hold of Aykan's arm, brought his fist back and connected with Aykan's face, letting his full weight fall behind his fist, reveling in the feeling of the skin on his knuckles breaking on Aykan's teeth. He screamed at Aykan and rode the man as he fell to the ground under Duo's fist.

They landed and Duo ground his teeth, ready to beat Aykan's face down to ground beef and bone. All his anger boiled up and then narrowed down to the one point of his undoing. Aykan. He seethed and let the noise trapped in his chest out as he…

"NO! DUO!!" Heero's voice broke past his own breathing and stopped Duo's fist mid motion. "CIVILIAN!" The one word made Duo's fist twist away and hit floor instead of skin as Duo gasped for air.

Duo felt hands on him, pulling him back, trapping his arms behind his body and he allowed it as his vision flashed in and out of gray. He choked on air and heard small noises coupled with moaning and yelling coming from underneath him. He was pulled up off his knees and backed away on unsteady feet as his eyes adjusted to this new world.

"Duo, concentrate! Look, open your eyes!" Heero's voice ordered, and just like that Duo realized that his eyes were closed and opened them.

He found Trowa on the floor in front of him, helping a young man sit up from the floor. Blood was flowing out of his nose and mouth; his eyes were screwed tight and leaked tears as he grasped at his face. A doctor, Duo saw the stethoscope around his neck and the ID clipped to his pocket. The white coat over his clothes was stained with blood and Duo had to drag his eyes away from the bright redness to see that he was blonde and thirty years younger than Aykan had been.

What had made his see Aykan down that hall instead of this man? Duo sagged in Heero's arms and moaned low in his throat.

"I've got it." Trowa said to Heero over Duo's shoulder, "Take him into your room and wait there, I'll call Wu Fei."

Heero turned Duo to his right and let go of him to open the door; Duo just let himself be lead and steered into the empty room. Forget his safety, at least here he couldn't hurt another civilian. Duo dropped forward onto the bed and cringed, curling in on himself.

"Duo?" Heero's voice full of panic let Duo turn on his side and look up. Heero was on the bed next to him, hands running over him, checking for injury. When he found Duo free of any major laceration or abrasion he focused on Duo hand.

"Duo, let me see it." Duo realized he'd used his injured hand to punch who he'd thought was Aykan. Duo let Heero take his hand and tried to keep his breathing from turning over into hyperventilation.

"Duo…look at me." It was almost a question on Heero's lips and Duo looked up, finding Heero's eyes full of worry, for him, for his sanity?

"What's wrong with me?" Duo demanded and reached out. Reached out to the last solid thing in his world. Heero held him back just as tight and Duo let his panic take over, let his fears surface as Heero held him together. "What's wrong with me?"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Heero whispered over and over, against his hair, right next to his ear, but Duo couldn't hear him for the rushing and the pounding in his head.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Once More, for the people in the cheap seats! Never owned Gundam Wing, never will.

Wow, another chapter. Let's hear it for summer, and for three am writing sessions! Once again let's hope that I can keep this up.

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 22: Broken

Duo flinched and woke to a deep throbbing. A pounding in his head that pushed against the back of his eyes and made him roll over and shove his face back into the pillow. He curled up and tried to find a cool spot that wasn't stuffy from sleep. He shivered despite the warmth trapped with him under the covers anyway.

Everything hurt. His hand, his head, his muscles and his throat. Duo thought seriously about getting up and going over to the sink to get water, but it seemed like too much effort, even with his throat burning from being dry too long. It wasn't like the day before, the day before he'd been disorientated, but he'd been fine. No deep aches, no fever like haze hanging around his head.

Today, this moment, whenever it was, was clear to Duo. He was still in Quatre's house, Heero was probably near by, and he'd passed out on this bed after he'd mistaken one of the doctors Quatre had graciously hired to help him for Aykan. Duo cringed and curled up tighter when he remembered the look on the man's face as Heero restrained him from killing an innocent man.

Duo wanted to groan, but held it back when he took a deep breath and his throat screamed for water. He really did need to get up; if for no other reason than to make sure Heero didn't panic when he refused to move. He'd probably been asleep for hours anyway. That's what it felt like to him, like he'd slept plenty long, without getting any real rest.

Duo was just about to force himself to sit up and start the process of getting up when approaching voice made him bury himself further under the covers and lay still. He kept his breathing even as the voices drew closer and let his muscles relax slowly.

"…Too dangerous to allow him to wander free around the grounds when the slightest trigger can send him…"

"That is not the point. If Duo can't walk around he'll never get any better and he'll grow bored enough to get out on his own anyway, the point is moot."

Heero and Wu Fei. Duo wanted to get up and leave before either of them got here, but they stopped outside the door and Duo couldn't get up the nerve to move and let them know that he was awake and hearing every word.

"If Maxwell can not reign in these hallucinations than we have a bigger problem than his boredom." Wu Fei argued with Heero and Duo wanted to slink off somewhere. He could feel his embarrassment rising up to color his cheeks even with his back to the two men.

"Duo was confined for four years, subjected to cruel and unforgivable experiments on a mad man's whim…" Heero started, but Wu Fei cut him off.

"I am not saying that he does not deserve the best we can offer him, our best if far lacking when faced with what Maxwell was subjected to. He is my friend too Yuy, I feel your guilt and I want him to heal." Duo felt his blush deepen, "But we have to be ready to consider that his sanity did not survive his confinement. We have to be ready to see the situation for what it is and not let our personal feelings bias our views to the point of harm. For his sake and ours. I know that it would have killed something inside of Duo if he'd done any serious damage to the doctor."

Duo didn't miss the use of his first name as Wu Fei argued with Heero. But it was hard to take any comfort from that when his friends were discussing his sanity within earshot. He wasn't prepared for the anger that swelled in him. Nor for Heero's as there was a minor explosion in the hallway.

"Don't you dare" Heero snapped at Wu Fei, "Don't you dare give up on him before he's even had a chance. Duo just got out of the hospital, so far he's had two attempts on his life just for being back out in the real world. He's suffered through more than any man ever should. Hell, he suffered through more before he was ever given Deathscythe." Duo blinked, he vaguely remembered sharing memories with Heero when they'd lived together, but he hadn't known that that was how Heero felt. "He'll get through this, and I'll be here to help him. So don't you dare question his sanity Wu Fei, if you've already given up on him then go."

Heero stormed through the door and Duo couldn't help the flinch as it swung wide and banged into the wall.

"That is not what I meant." Wu Fei's voice was soft and apologetic and Duo felt better, but he did wish they hadn't brought this fight here, to him.

He could have sworn that he heard Heero growl, but then cobalt blue eyes were staring back into his own violet ones as Heero knelt down next to the bed and peeked at him under the covers.

"Duo?" Heero seemed surprised to find him awake and Duo slowly sat up, keeping his face turned down but not missing the look of shame on Wu Fei's face as he realized that Duo had heard them talking.

"What time is it?" Duo asked, his voice coming out raspy and low. He tried to swallow and cringed.

"It's ten" Heero told him and Duo felt his stomach complain for having slept through dinner the day before. But after having his hand looked at and asked questions, and then seeing a therapist the day before, he'd just wanted to go to bed, even if it was five.

Duo's head throbbed and he very carefully considered falling back into hot pillow and just forgetting this day too. Maybe the next too if this headache continued. Heero hadn't missed his discomfort, he put a hand to Duo's forehead and Duo was surprised to find that Heero's hand felt cool to the touch.

"What's wrong?" Heero asked as he blocked Duo from getting out of bed.

"Headache." Duo grumbled, dejected for having his escape to the bathroom foiled, the bathroom not only had water, it probably had aspirin too.

"Wu Fei, there's aspirin in the medicine cabinet, could you?" Heero directed and Wu Fei jumped, Duo suspected just for the sake of doing something other than standing there with a chagrined look on his face.

"How are you feeling otherwise?" Heero asked as Wu Fei hunted down the aspirin.

"Honestly? Achey, lethargic, hungry and way too hot." Duo leaned into Heero's hand, treasuring the coolness and ignoring the voice in his head that was trying to remind him that Heero had always felt warmer, not cooler.

Heero frowned and Duo just let the waves of exhaustion he felt roll over him. It wasn't a drained feeling that made sense, but it was there nonetheless and it was pulling him back towards the bed.

"Whoa." Heero's hand was suddenly behind his back and he was being handed two pills and a glass of water. "These first." Duo didn't notice the worry on Heero's face as he accepted the pills gratefully and sipped the water.

"Can I go back to sleep now?" Duo asked Heero as he tried to fall back again.

"Yes," Heero tried his best to smile down at him, knowing that Duo probably didn't see his failed attempt anyway. "I'll wake you up for lunch."

Duo muttered something but then was fast asleep again. Heero couldn't help the worry that overcame his face and tried not to crush the glass in frustration as he set it down on the bedside table.

"I'll get the doctor." Wu Fei said quietly behind him and then was gone.

Heero sat on the edge of the bed and waited, overly aware of how hot Duo really was under the covers, but how he seemed to also be pulling them closer around him. Heero adjusted the quilt and couldn't help but think on the lecture he'd gotten he day before.

"You can't just expect all of his problems to go away overnight. These are real issues. This man was held unjustly for four years and six months, in an environment we can only guess at. There is no way he could have come out without any emotional scars, these hallucinations, these acts of vengeance are only going to be the beginning." The doctor had kept going for a good ten minutes; Heero had felt years younger standing before the woman. No matter that she was a short red head in blue pumps, her furious eyes and pointing finger had been enough to send his mind reeling back through time when mistakes had meant so much more than just a lecture.

It had been a nice dream though, even if Heero had known all that the doctor had told him, that Duo's problems hadn't even fully surfaced and that they had a long road ahead of them. He'd been doing so well.

And Heero had seen it in Duo's face too, sitting behind the woman, glancing up at him now and again. To believe that their problems had all finally ended, that they were together again. It had been a kind illusion, but an illusion it had been, no matter how pretty, and easily shattered. Duo had looked just as guilty as he'd felt.

The doctor, Dr. Kenyan, was due back today, she'd been given access to Duo's personal files and was probably going to end up counseling Duo permanently, at least according to Trowa who'd talked with Quatre about this.

But Heero couldn't help feeling a little hostility towards the woman, even though he knew that was just because she'd caught him believing a lie he knew to be false. Heero pushed the thoughts from his mind and focused on Duo, Duo asleep next to him. Duo who looked to be getting sick again.

The thought of infection quickly jumped into Heero's mind, but a quick look at Duo's hand told him that that wasn't likely to be the source of this fever. The only other option his mind presented him with was a relapse of what had put Duo in the hospital in the first place and the unbidden image of Aykan standing over a strapped down Duo danced through his memory. Heero seethed silently, the man was dead and gone and Heero wasn't going to see any legal or disciplinary action for it, but it was as if the man were still alive. Taunting and tormenting them both, as if just as Duo had come back to them from beyond the grave, so too was Aykan haunting them.

Heero tried to calm himself down then, it wouldn't do to be all worked up when Wu Fei returned with the doctor. Right now he had to be here for Duo. He glanced down at Duo again and the fine sheen of sweat on Duo's skin had him up and fetching a damp washcloth from the bathroom.

He hated this on Duo's behalf. Duo hated being sick, and Heero hated being unable to really help Duo. The only thing he could do was see that Duo got the best care so that his body could fight whatever this was.

The doctors came at last, and Heero was surprised to see Dr. Kenyan with Wu Fei as well as the female doctor that had replaced the one Duo had attacked the day before. They were hoping that Duo wouldn't confuse this woman with anyone else and had also insisted on blue scrubs only after Duo had admitted that the white coat had been a big part of his delusion.

Heero watched as the new doctor started taking Duo's temperature and blood pressure but was distracted when Dr. Kenyan touched his arm lightly and motioned for him to follow her to the next room with Wu Fei.

Heero followed reluctantly and stood waiting, letting his impatience show, as Dr. Kenyan regarded him with a sigh and a firm lip.

"I've reviewed Duo's files, what was filed after the war and what logged during his stay at the prison. I'll admit that those are sketchy at best, but some of the medical trials coupled with the logs explain some things that I wouldn't have known about otherwise." Dr. Kenyan explained. She took a deep breath then and Heero knew that he wasn't going to like what came next.

"I'm very sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but if his situation does not improve, if Duo fails to differentiated the difference between time and place, between here and the prison he was just released from, then he is going to have to stay confined. Not just for his own safety, but also for the threat he poses to others. Duo Maxwell is an Ex-Gundam Pilot. He is a living weapon. I know that he is your friend, your loved one, but he will never be able to be categorized with any other similar cases. He is unique and so is this situation. We have to proceed carefully."

Heero instantly began arguing with the woman, outrage coloring his face and anger making him fight to keep his fists at his side. He kept his voice down with Duo in the next room, but he was not shy about expressing his opinion of her opinion.

What they didn't know was that Duo had woken just enough to hear the doctors last few remarks. Before he drifted off again, Duo had a suddenly terrifying realization: _I just went from one prison to another._


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Own a fair amount of… stuff, but Gundam Wing is not included

Disclaimer: Own a fair amount of… stuff, but Gundam Wing is not included! I Don't Own Gundam Wing!! This is a fanfic!! Duh.

Ok, I'm in my new place… I almost have internet. I can access it with just a quick jaunt over to a free wifi area, but I'm working on having that area being closer to home. As in my immediate surroundings to my desk! But for now I can at least give you another chapter. For those of you just joining us, I tend to update faster if I have internet access without having to go out and look for it. Tis my quest!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 23: Impulse

A couple days later Duo sat in the chair with his feet tucked up and his chain resting on his knees. He was in an almost blatant staring contest with Dr. Kenyan. He just sat and stared at her, and though she stared back blinking every once and a while, it still felt like a contest to him.

"Duo, if you don't talk to me, I can't help you." Dr. Kenyan tried to coax him. She'd been trying the little tricks for a good half hour now. But Duo had just shaken his head, like he did now, and continued to sit, staring at her.

"Duo, if you want to get better-" Dr. Kenyan started to say, but Duo interrupted her.

"If I want to get better wouldn't it help to know what was wrong with me in the first place?" Duo demanded.

"Duo, I just want us to talk, we'll save that heavy stuff for later." Dr. Kenyan tried.

"No. I want to heavy stuff now. I'm a big boy, a Gundam Pilot. Do you think I can't handle it?" Duo demanded, trying to see what would set her off. His fever had already broken this morning and now he was hungry, but he ignored it, paying careful attention to her face.

"Actually, I'm afraid that you'll handle it too well. You'll solve your own problem and move on before we really have a chance to examine it." Dr. Kenyan sighed, she rubbed her forehead, he was making progress in the annoying department, that was for sure.

"Isn't that a good thing? I'm not your guinea pig. We're aiming for cured here, not wallowing." Duo frowned.

"I'm concerned about that being the real problem. You're patching over things, getting to a point of functioning, but only on the surface. The reason you're still having flashback, I'm convinced, is because you're working on covering the problem up and solving it quickly rather than really delving into it and solving the root of the problem." Dr. Kenyan insisted, her eyes lit up and Duo knew that though she protested the guinea pig label, she was more akin to it than she thought.

Duo sighed heavily and shoved his back into his chair, keeping his legs up, he needed at least some kind of barrier between him and her. He would just ignore that little voice in his head that told him it was only because she was hitting so close to home.

"So Duo, may we please move on, I would like to make some progress today, even if it is just us getting to know each other better." Dr. Kenyan finally put down her pad of paper and folded her hands in front of her. She was finally really looking at Duo, but Duo wasn't going to be fooled. He'd seen this tactic too often to be. Just because someone looked genuinely interested, didn't mean they really were.

"No, we may not." Duo shoved his feet out, he wasn't going to be blinded from this cage by its dazzling interior, it was a cage no matter how they presented it to them. Duo stood and walked away.

"Where are you going Duo? WE still have another thirty minutes." Dr. Kenyan didn't sound mad, just confused. Let her be.

"Bathroom." Duo lied easily, he showed himself out into the hallway and started walking towards the room he and Heero were still sharing in Quatre's home.

At least Heero was opposed to the idea, at least he had Heero on his side. Everyone else was all for confining him till they could 'evaluate' his 'mental health'. A lot of bullshit was flying around in the air these days. Quatre should really get that looked at, Duo thought, maybe get someone to run around with nets to collect it and free it outside with all the other shit.

Duo grinned at his own thoughts and opened the door to his rooms, Heero wasn't here right now. He was off somewhere with Wu Fei. Duo fell face first onto the bed and for a minute just enjoyed how the soft fabric felt against his cheek. Everything was soft here, no harsh corners, no jagged edges, no rough cloth that made him itch. Everything around him was for comfort, was gentle. And now, it also smelled slightly of Heero.

Duo knew it probably smelled of him too, he'd been in bed for a couple of days, how could it not? But he couldn't distinguish his own scent from the others, and he liked the smell of Heero a lot more anyway.

He didn't allow the wonder of Heero to sneak up on him again. Heero deserved better than that. If Heero could be here for him, Duo could very well believe it and stop expecting Heero to disappear. No matter how often that thought occurred to him.

Duo sat up and looked over at the windows. He longed for outside. Fresh air, sky that didn't end when a building jutted up. A yard that wasn't surrounded by barbed wire and snipers, or paved with concrete where the only green was pale weeds pushing up between the cement for sun.

Duo pushed aside the curtains, surprised when he didn't remember getting up to walk over to the window. Quatre's lawn was lush green, it was trimmed neat and proper, but still it looked almost untouched. Like everything in Quatre's domain simply knew better than to grow wild, like it knew how he wanted everything to look and sprouted with purpose to please him.

Duo leaned forward and rested his forehead against the glass. Outside was inches away, but he was sick… and there was the problem of people out to kill him. Why wasn't anything any easier outside of prison? Shouldn't everything be better, shouldn't he be free?

Duo wondered again what was wrong with him. There was something there that no one was telling him about. Sure he kept having flashbacks to prison, seeing Aykan when he wasn't there and absently falling into schedule when he didn't remind himself not to. But… something else made their eyes follow him across the room, something else was keeping him here. What was it? What weren't they telling him about his recovery?

Weren't flashbacks expected? Hell, he'd had to deal with that already, when he'd come out of the war. They all had, he hadn't been the only one having flashbacks then. Why was it so different now?

No, it had to be something else, something they weren't telling him. Something they thought he could deal with. Duo stared outside; he changed his focus from out the window to looking at the actual window. He reached out and found the lock, it opened easy, from inside. Duo quickly wondered if there was an alarm on the window. He walked into the bathroom and looked in a drawer where he'd noticed scissors the day before. Duo quickly examined the lock, staring until he spotted the wire.

Duo opened the window a minute later and when no one came running he figured he'd been successful. Duo shoved the window up and leaned forward to catch a breeze that easily blew into the room. He breathed deep, careful to take the breath in slow so he didn't start coughing and just closed his eyes to take in all the smells of outside.

Fresh cut grass… northern wind, could from the mountains… overturned earth… flowers lately blooming… tree bark… it all hit him in the face and Duo was almost dizzy with trying to identify each smell. Duo opened his eyes and turned his face up to the sun. The air was cooling down, but the sun was warm, the kind of weather that was perfect for naps, long afternoon naps.

Duo tired to ignore the impulse to call for Heero so they could nap, instead, he wanted to heed to another impulse. A dangerous one, one that would probably upset a lot of people. But the pull was too strong, and if no one was going to tell him what was going on, then he was just going to have to figure it out himself. Duo swallowed hard and turned back only to grab a few things, well, here was to acting on dangerous impulses. It was just like old times.

Heero turned away and started walking back the way he'd come when Wu Fei entered the room and met his eyes. He was in no mood to put up with Wu Fei's ideas or meddling. He just wanted a few hours alone with Duo. But Duo wasn't due to end his session with Dr. Kenyan for another twenty minutes. Still, he was playing with the idea of ending it early. Duo was still getting over being sick.

The doctor had pronounced it as just a cold, said that Duo was far more susceptible to sickness in his weakened state having just had surgery. Perhaps Duo needed to rest now, Heero knew that if that was what Duo needed then he'd be perfectly happy to make sure he got it, in fact, a nap together sounded just about right.

"Yuy. Don't avoid me, Winner's estate is not that vast." Wu Fei snapped.

Heero could almost hear Duo coming to his defense, 'wanna bet?' Duo would dare and then he'd pull them away. Or… he would have before… before that woman had…

Heero turned on Wu Fei, his look none too friendly, he really didn't want to talk about anything right now with the man, he just wanted to rest. Wu Fei seemed to pause in hesitation at the look on Heero's face. Could it be that he understood just what that look promised, or was it that Heero looked exactly how he felt, that he needed this break more than he was letting on.

But it was only a seconds hesitation. Wu Fei pushed, as he was prone to do when he felt justified and that his cause was considered an important one. "I have papers for you to look at."

"If this is more information about 'institutes' that would be beneficial to Duo then you can leave it here and I will look it over later, I'm in no mood now Chang." Heero warned.

"I am simply taking Maxwell's best interest into consideration…" Wu Fei started, pushing the papers on Heero despite the verbal warning.

"No, you're taking an idea to heart that has no firm confirmation based in reality." Heero snapped, "You're not even willing for an evaluation that you yourself insisted on and I had to talk Duo into. The very least you could do is honor that." Heero pushed the papers away, they scattered to the floor and Wu Fei looked as if he'd been struck.

"You can't just assume that he will survive this Yuy, just because he's thrived in the past does not mean…"

"You can't just assume he won't!" Heero stormed away, he let a parting shot drift over his shoulder as he let. "Have a little faith Chang, we owe him that much."

Wu Fei sighed heavily to himself. Perhaps that had not been the best approach, nor the right time. But he could think of no other way to get Heero to listen. And he did need to take all options into consideration.

"Duo? Duo are you all right?" Heero came upon Dr. Kenyan at the door to the rooms he shared with Duo. Instantly anxiety thrummed though his bones and fear spiked inside him.

"What is wrong doctor?" Heero asked.

"Duo left for a bathroom break nearly ten minutes ago and has not returned. I simply came to check and see that everything was all right." Dr. Kenyan explained, but the nervous expression on her face belied her calm tone.

Heero ignored the fact that there were closer bathrooms Duo could have used, he'd noticed Duo tendency to only use the one bathroom, he didn't want to guess the mean behind that habit, but to be gone so long?

Instantly, as he walked for the door, over a dozen images passed through his mind, the kindest one being Duo passed out on the floor.

"Duo?" Heero called as he walked in, the doctor hesitated by the door, but Heero didn't give her much thought, instead he looked around, walking to the bathroom to find the door standing wide and the room beyond empty and dark.

Heero felt panic rising as he searched the rest of the rooms, it wasn't a lot of space either, Duo should have answered him right away when he'd first walked in. If he'd been in the rooms…

"He's not here." Heero whispered to the empty room, when Dr. Kenyan answered him it startled him that she was still there.

"I've looked elsewhere, I also sent a maid looking, Heero… I don't think Duo is inside anymore." Dr. Kenyan's hand was out, her finger pointed, and Heero followed it numbly, his eyes crossing the room.

There on an open windowsill was a pair of scissors, just visible as the curtains moved in the wind. Heero walked over and looked down at the scissors, there were little hollow bits of plastic tubing next to them. On closer examination Heero realized that wires had been cut, wires that tied the window into the security system. Heero looked out and could see Duo perfectly in his memory, staring out the window longingly at the green lawn.

"He's gone… he just… left…" The words were barely passing his lips, he was choking on them. Heero could only stare out the window. He knew Duo was still sick, but that he was happy, they were happy… together. Or at least he'd thought so. Why had Duo left? Why?


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: It's a fan fic, on a fan fic site, which means I don't own Gundam Wing. At all.

Couldn't sleep, so I got back up and sat down at my puter. Oh, and check Myspace for new FANART!!! YAYE! My fans rock!!!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 24: Test

"Get up and walk you idiot!" Duo yelled at himself. He quickly shut his mouth afterwards and wondered if anyone had heard him. He'd come so far already. But now he was stuck. Stuck cowering against a wall, yelling at himself to move, and his body wasn't obeying.

Duo hit his thigh again, his fist not coming down as hard as he would have liked, some small smidgen of self-preservation still kept him from hurting himself, especially in his current predicament.

His walk, his escape, had started out so pleasantly. A stroll across Quatre's lawn, through his gardens, past quiet fountains covered in lily pads, moss, and small vines. Large hedges giving him shade and slow rolling clouds making the light dance across the green expanse all around him. And with no one aware of his escape yet, he hadn't had to worry about running into anyone. The grounds were pleasantly empty.

And then he'd come to the wall. The eight foot high brick wall that had iron spikes at the top and a thin wire that was only a farce, to distract from the motion detectors. Duo had stared at the wall and laughed. He'd let the laughter roll through him, loving the almost lackluster security. Sure, there were probably guards, cameras and maybe even dogs somewhere. But it wasn't prison. It wasn't Aykan's fortress.

Compared to the past four and a half years of his life, this was nothing.

Duo had brought his laughter under control and regarded the wall seriously for about a minute before he found an opening, an overlaying branch that disrupted the motion detectors for just a small space, just big enough for one foot at the top of the wall. Duo had quickly pulled himself up, keeping most of his body weight off his injured hand and used his small space to vault himself over the wall and to the ground on the other side, just barely missing a hidden trap that would have set off all the alarms.

Duo laughed again as he stepped back from the wall, looking up at his victory, glancing around to make sure. But the absence of anybody, for yards, lifted his spirits again and kept him from walking backwards. Duo had turned to find a stance of wood, small and thin, that hid the wall from the rest of the world.

Duo had quickly set off on into it. Enjoying the sounds of animals around him, even if they were running from him. He had kept walking, enjoying the sun and sky, the plants and animals, the pure freedom he'd won himself.

And then the road had appeared. At first it hadn't been daunting at all, just a road. He'd seen so many, all different kinds, this one, paved and lined with paint. Fresh paint; clean, unlike the faded lines of the city that constantly had to be repainted.

Duo had turned his feet south, away from Quatre's home and towards a city that winked at him, just a few miles off, towers coming up to wave at him over the tops of trees. Duo had walked and walked and had been halfway there when the first wave had hit.

He hadn't even noticed his heart rate going up, the anxiety building. He'd just thought he was exerting himself, stopping to rest. But finding a spot to rest had pointed it out to him. There had been a rock, one just the right height and size for sitting on and resting, underneath a small tree which provided a little shade. But Duo had only glance at it before pronouncing it unacceptable.

It was too out in the open, an easy target, especially with the colored shirt he was wearing, he'd needed someplace further out of sight. Away from the road, a bigger rock, or a tree that would provide him with cover. A place to hide from any passers by. When the last thought had hit him, Duo had had to convince himself that he didn't want to be taken back just yet; he was only hiding from the people who were out looking for him now. Lead by Quatre, Wu Fei and Heero, and there were those mercenaries to worry about.

So he'd allowed himself to find and better spot, hidden from the road, and from the air and rested till he felt ready to move again, which had taken a lot longer than he'd expected. The second wave of paranoia had hit him and Duo had run out into the trees and bushes, panicked. Hiding completely from an approaching car and then staying there till it had been out of sight nearly ten full minutes.

Duo had had to force himself to get up again and continue walking. He'd been suspicious then. How was he going to feel surrounded by people in the city if he was getting jumpy over passing cars? Not everyone in the world was out to get him, some people just wanted to tell their friends that they'd seen, maybe, talked to, someone famous. Some people probably still didn't even know who he was, wouldn't recognize him instantly on sight.

When he'd made what he was sure was the halfway point Duo came to a stop abruptly when he'd come across a farm. There was a wall around it, not as tall or as heavily guarded as Quatre's, but there were people. People outside, working, talking, and constantly walking around. He'd run for the wall, ducking down before he was seen and hidden there, behind a small bush, his back flush against the wall and his head and eyes flitting back and forth, scanning the area. He was very aware of everything, as if all the green was growing brighter and the sky was harsh now, instead of soft and comforting.

And he was still suck there. Still cowering, hiding, breath coming too fast, and heart hammering out an erratic beat against his ribs. He was panic ridden and the thought of moving out from under cover was keeping him stalk still where he was. He was so confused, so terribly lost inside his own body. It wouldn't do what he said, his arms constricting around him, his head throbbing with a growing headache and his eyes kept seeing ghosts that weren't there.

Duo cursed himself again and found his mind blank. He was frozen in place from the fear of people seeing him, of being out in the open, so he could not go forward. But he didn't want to go back to being confined to Quatre's property, trapped there just as surly as if he was still in prison. Even if they weren't doing radical tests on him or keeping him locked in a cell most of the day, it was still a confinement where he wasn't privy to all the information they had. So he could not go back. He was just stuck in the middle. Stuck here against this wall. Stuck in a small spot of time where the world whirred around him and he stood alone in the eye of this cyclone that wanted to rip him to shreds.

Duo hated his overactive imagination and tried to stop thinking in over analyzed metaphors. Instead he found himself thinking about Heero. Heero from before he'd been pronounced dead. His old roommate who had been making advances. His roommate and war comrade and fellow employee who had wanted to be more.

Was it too weird to want to just pick up where that had all left off? Where Heero had wanted to be more than friends? Duo decided it was weird. But that didn't keep him from wanting it, it didn't keep his mind from picturing what could be.

And after all, hadn't this Heero, this man who'd come riding in to save him from the mad scientist, didn't he want more too. He was kind and cared for him. Cared about him. As no one had in four and a half years, since the old Heero had cared for him.

It had always been Heero. Even with him stuck here. Damaged mentally and probably physically, Heero cared for this broken Duo who had used to be Shinigami.

Duo tried not to cry. He wasn't someone who cried. Sure, he'd had bouts of emotion that he couldn't control, but those had had strong elements behind them. He wasn't the type of person who just cried because they were feeling particularly emotional.

Duo found himself sighing again and wondered how much time had passed. Was Heero worried about him? Most probably. He'd probably sent the whole household into an uproar. He'd just left in the middle of a session. Duo's eyes grew wide, oh, what had he done?

Duo shoved his face into his hands. This had been such a mistake. How could he just do this? To Quatre? To Heero? Wu Fei… well, who cared what that bastard thought. Oh sure, Duo had plenty of respect for him, and he was a good friend, but seriously? He'd overheard too many conversations as of late to keep Wu Fei up on a pedestal. As far as he was concerned Wu Fei could just take a long walk off a short…

"Duo?" Duo's head snapped up at the sound of his name. He hadn't heard the footsteps coming up on him. Hadn't seen the figure walking along the side of the road. He'd been too wrapped up in his own mind, too busy looking inward to pay attention to his surroundings. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

But when he looked up and saw Heero walking quickly towards him Duo felt all the anxiety and anger and self loathing rush out of him in one great exhale of air. Heero reached out for him, panic clearly drawn tight across his face, relief echoing in his eyes.

Duo couldn't get himself to stand, but he did reach out. Heero came and knelt in front of him grabbing Duo up into a hug. Duo felt his breath catch for a different reason and an onslaught of memories from five years ago flooded him; sense memory making everything much more vivid.

"Duo, are you ok? What's wrong? Why are you hiding over here?" Heero pushed away and started looking Duo over at arms length. "Are you hurt? Did something happen?"

"Yeah Heero, something did happen." Duo let out a shaky breath and pulled Heero close. Heero hesitated but couldn't deny Duo. He pulled the man close and tried to look around while simultaneously trying to get a good look at Duo.

"What is it? What's wrong, please tell me Duo?" Heero asked, rubbing a hand absentmindedly up and down Duo's back.

"I failed. This was such a horribly, terribly, bad idea. I'm such an idiot." Duo told Heero's shoulder.

"What? I don't understand. What are you talking about?" Heero furrowed his brow as he heard a car coming to a stop at the road. He looked over, realizing that Duo hadn't heard it. Something really was wrong if Duo was blind to his surroundings. He couldn't bring to mind anytime that he'd known Duo when they both hadn't been almost hyper alert of what was going on around them. The war had conditioned them so and training like that didn't go away just from times of peace.

"I failed. If this had been a test… never mind. Just look at me. I can't even walk by a farm full of civilians. I'm pathetic." Duo mumbled. "I'm not hurt Heero, I'm hiding."

Heero jerked in surprise, not meaning to, but surprised at Duo admittance. Duo had put a test before himself, that he understood. But failure had never been in Duo's vocabulary. This was a man who, if something scared him or challenged him, he would simply throw himself at it without a second thought. This kind of crippling, well, he wouldn't have thought it possible. Not of Duo Maxwell.

"It's not pathetic." Heero finally found his words, "It's not at all pathetic to admit it when you need help. That's how you get through the really tough missions…er, times." Heero corrected himself quickly but relaxed when he heard Duo let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, looks like I need backup here buddy." Duo squeezed Heero tight. It felt so good to be in his arms again. It was a feeling that hadn't dulled in him, it wasn't the type of thing you forgot, but he'd pushed it down so far. He hadn't needed that kind of haunting memory while he was trying not to scream under Aykan's knife.

Duo breathed in deep and wanted so much to kiss Heero right now. But he kept his head down. As much as he needed Heero… no, as much as he wanted Heero, he still wasn't sure how much of it was still love and how much was now coming from the part of him that needed to be taken care of. Right now Heero was a crutch. Heero was protecting him, helping him. This wasn't going to be a good start to a relationship at all, even if he was pretty sure it was what Heero wanted as well.

"Let's go back." Heero started to stand and Duo jerked back against the wall, his leg muscles tightening at the mere mention of having to get up, out into the open again. No walls, just open air, no bars to protect him from others. No locks or doors. No electric wall, no barbed wire, no guards with sniper rifles. No…

"Duo." Duo snapped back and looked up, Heero had knelt down again. "Duo?"

"S-sorry." Duo stammered, his heart racing, fit to jump out his mouth from where it was already hiding behind his tonsils.

"What is it?" Heero asked.

"Um.. don't know if I can explain." Duo admitted. How did you tell someone that you were the opposite of claustrophobic? That it was the open air, that you'd run away too, that was your downfall. That years in a prison surrounded by bars and wall and cuffs and guards had accustomed you to enclosed spaces.

Heero reached out and brushed the sweaty bangs from Duo's forehead. "Close your eyes, just hold my hand, there's a car waiting for us. We'll be back in eight minutes.

Eight minutes? Well that was daunting. That nice long stroll turned out not to be so long. Not near as long as he used to be able to travel in that amount of time. Duo sighed and took deep breaths as he closed his eyes and struggled to let Heero take him away form the comfort of the stonewall at his back. Heero kept his hand held tight and Duo felt him pulling them along fast and then his head was being lowered and Heero was telling him to step into the car.

Even once inside Duo kept his eyes shut, letting the motion of the car tell him when they turned and when they went over small bumps and into dips in the road. Heero was right there next to him and his smell, the scent that was Heero, grounded him. The seat at his back helped too. If there was an attack coming, it had to come from either side or in front. His back was covered. A corner would have been better, or someplace high where he could watch everyone…

Duo cut off his thoughts of paranoia and felt the car coming to a stop. He did open his eyes then, taking in his prison. Not forced by guards or a madman, or even a small blonde with a god complex. But a prison forced on him by his own mental problems. His paranoia, his anti-claustrophobia, his 'something that they weren't telling him'. Duo cursed himself internally. One prison for another, but maybe this time his sentence would be limited.

But how long did it take to overcome issues that made everyone around you question your sanity? Especially when those people were supposed to be your friends, the people who were supposed to be just as crazy as you? When crazy people called you nuts, maybe it was time to give up.

Heero put a hand on Duo's back, seeing something deflate in him and asked hi a question with his eyes. But Duo just shook his head and headed up towards Quatre's estate. Heero followed, he was very worried, but he also had a voice deep inside him telling him that if anyone could make it through this it would be Duo. And as long as that voice spoke to him of Duo's strength he was going to be here to help, to be Duo's crutch as long as he was needed.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Don't own Gundam, or anything related. Don't own anything much really.

New School year put a damper on my writing time. Especially since I got an advanced writing class! So I'll try writing when I can. I tried setting up a forum; can you guys check it out and tell me if I'm doing it right? I've never done anything like that, and I'm only half sure about how it works…

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 25: Straws

"This is ridiculous!" David fumed as he ripped the glass vase out of Relena's hands and threw it against the wall where it shattered, glass spraying everywhere and the little bit of water that had been in it spraying back on him and Relena.

Relena let out a small scream as she backed up quickly away from the mercenary. She held up her hands in front of her in defense and the glass crunched and slipped under her shoes as she ran into the counter behind her.

"What aren't you telling us? He isn't even a Gundam Pilot anymore? How is it we can't get near him, why won't he die?" David was yelling at her when Conner came running in and pulled him back with a dinner plate size hand on his shoulder.

He towered over David as he backed him out of the kitchen.

Relena stared after them, her eyes wide, her breathing heavy. She felt a small tremor start in her hands and quickly put them down at her sides so no one would see. She hated that man. He was shifty, slimy, he was quick to anger and she didn't like him being in her house. But he was necessary, just one more think Duo had forced on her.

Relena heard yelling in the other room and then the young Justin walked in. eh smiled good-naturedly at her and Relena sneered back at him. She was in no mood to be checked on or cheered up. If only that woman hadn't messed up, Jackie and been the most tolerable of all of them.

"Here, let me get that Miss Peacecraft." Justin ambled up and bent down to start picking up the glass at her feet.

"Oh never mind, someone else will get that." Relena snapped. She stared at his tattoos on his hands as he paused and looked up at her.

"You sure? It's no problem. Conner said to make sure you're happy." Justin smiled widely at her. He still had some boyish charm, but that didn't mean she didn't see right through him, the filthy criminal.

"Get up off the floor, idiot." Relena turned on her heel away from him and stormed off to her room. She was about two seconds from firing these men and hiring someone else. They had no idea how close. She'd fire them and then send them off to prison, she'd…

She turned around on the stairs and found Cord walking after her. She stopped and so did he.

"Are you following me?" She demanded.

"Yes." He said, one of the few things he'd actually said.

"Stop it!" Relena snapped at him, stomping her foot for effect.

"I can't. I'm assigned to keeping you safe." Cord told her, she felt a chill go down her back as his expression didn't change.

"I didn't hire you to keep me safe, I hired you to kill a criminal." Relena felt like pulling out her hair, but that was unbecoming of a lady.

"All your staff has quit." Cord told her, matter o' factly.

"Then I'll hire new staff." Relena snapped, "You do what I hired you to do, nothing else. Just stay out of my way."

"If you get killed. We don't get paid." It was as simple as that for Cord, but he only took orders form Conner. Relena fumed and stormed past Cord back down the stairs.

"What is the meaning of this?" She demanded as she walked back into the dining room where Conner was still talking to David.

"Oh good, she's back." David growled as eh backed away from Conner.

"What is wrong Miss Peacecraft?" Conner asked, fighting against an heavy sigh as the much smaller woman stalked up to him.

"I did not hire you for security, why is this man following me around?" She asked, her voice raising an octave.

"Miss Peacecraft you have to understand that…" Conner started.

"No." Relena interrupted him, "You have to understand that you haven't done your job yet, while I've given you plenty of time. If Duo Maxwell is still alive in 2 weeks when I have my annual black and white ball, I will fire all of you and send you to a place where there will be no appeals, no fair trials and I can guarantee you won't live out the year." She put every bit of malice she had into her voice and waited for the men to say something.

David burst out laughing.

"Lady, you're powerful, we get it. But there ain't no way you're getting us in that prison of yours if we don't wanna go." David continued laughing. But Relena stared down Conner, waiting for him to either brush her off or shape up.

"Miss Peacecraft, is there something you're not telling us about Duo Maxwell and his friends?" Conner finally just ignored her little outburst and moved on. Apparently he would reprimand David for yelling at her, but he'd also listen to what the lunatic had to say.

"I told you everything, I gave you his file for Heaven's sake. You know everything I do." Relena snapped, folding her arms and tapping her foot in impatience.

"Then how was he able to stop that knife that Jackie tried to stab him with? How did his friends know she was in the crowd? Jackie was a professional. She's been doing this for years and no one ever saw her coming before. Not until they were dead." David walked right up to Relena and spat the last words into her face.

Relena took a dramatic step back and frowned. "They're Gundam Pilots."

David and Conner looked at each other while Cord leaned against the back wall, eyes down but listening, as he always did. Justin had walked in by this time, after cleaning up the broken vase and stared around at all of them, confused.

"I'm beginning to think that means a lot more than we first anticipated." Conner said quietly.

"So you're blaming your failure on underestimating your target?" Relena threw up her arms in exaggeration. "Just what I should have expected, I should have hired someone else, my associates told me to go with Evan's group, but I went with you." Relena made a disgusted sound, not seeing Cord look up behind her. Stare at her back. While Justin lets out a breath of frustrated air.

"We'll get the job done ma'm." Conner assured her, even as he tries to keep the frown off his face.

"You had better." Relena snaps and turns away from them.

Conner waited until Relena left before speaking lowly to Justin and Cord. "Find out all you can about the Gundam Pilots." They nodded and left quickly, and Conner turned to David. "I need you to look into Miss Peacecraft's staff problem."

"What?" David demanded, not at all pleased about the task set before him.

"Find a woman, a personal assistant. Here's a number to call. Ask for Kitty." Conner handed him a business card.

David only had to glance down at it before a smile spread across his face. "Got 'cha."

"This is ridiculous." Duo fumed as he stared down Dr. Kenyan.

"It is not ridiculous Mr. Maxwell, it is my professional diagnosis. It's what you've described and there are many ways we can go about dealing with this situation." Dr. Kenyan answered, sitting across from Duo back in one of the rooms of Quatre's estate the day after Duo's adventure. Only this time Heero was sitting next to him.

"Duo…" Heero started. He reached out and took Duo's hand, trying to offer some comfort and help Duo calm down.

Duo leaned back into the couch and sighed heavily. "Yeah ok, so what're my choices?"

"Agoraphobia can be treated Agoraphobia can be treated in many cases through a very gradual process of graduated exposure therapy combined with cognitve thereapy and sometimes with anti-anxitey or antidepressant medication." Dr. Kenyan explained.

"No drugs." Duo instantly insisted. "Absolutly no drugs." He didn't see Heero look at him and then at Dr. Kenyan and nodd.

"Very well, then our best hope is exposure thereapy." Dr. Kenyan gave them an encorageing smile.

"Wait…what exactly are we exposeing?" Duo narrowed his eyes at the woman sitting across from him and Heero. She didn't look like someone into voyerism, but you could never really tell, could you.

"What it means, is that I will be teaching you some relaxation tecniques to help you cope with you anxiety attacks. And we will slowly expose you to situations that cause these attacks, helping you at each stage with tolerance until the fear response is extinguished to the stimulas." Dr. Kenyan smiled at them both, apparently very confidant about the outcome of this suggestion.

"Has there been a large rate of success with this treatment?" Heero asked, squeezing Duo's hand without realizing it.

"There is a good outcome of people who overcome this fear, yes." Dr. Kenyan assured him. "Of course, some of it depends on how well Mr. Maxwell can master these relaxation tecniques."

"Well," Duo asked, eager to begin, "What is there?"

"We have a number of options, there is autogenic training, biofeedback, deep breating, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, and meditiation." Dr. Kenyan read off a list on her notepad. "I have numbers for a number of teachers who can help us, but I am also trained in teacheing a number of these if that would make you more comfortable." Dr. Kenyan offered.

"I think we may already have a teacher here with us Dr. Kenyan." Heero smiled at Duo who was staring at him a second before he made the connection.

"Oh no." Duo moaned. "Please no, I'll just annoy him until he gets fed up with me and refuses to teach me. Wouldn't it be easier to just start with someone else?"

"Duo, Wu Fei is a very good teacher, and he wants to help you just as much as I do. And it will be easeir than bring someone else in here to teach you."

"Then why don't we just use her?" Duo pointed at Dr. Kenyan, "Why does it have to be Wu Fei, he may be a good teacher but I'm not a good student and no he doesn't."

"What?" Heero asked, confused by Duo's last comment.

"He does not want to help me as much as you do." Duo leaned back into the cushion of the couch and folded his arms tightly across his chest in a sign of reinforcement for his declaration.

"Of course he does Duo, Wu Fei was just as…" Heero started, but Duo cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You were all broken up. My 'death' affected all of you differntly, and you are all dealing with it in your own way. But I know for a fact that Wu Fei doesn't want to help me. He just wants to send me to a mental institution." Duo snapped. Anger feeling so good after the day before. It was such a turn around from feeling so helpless to feeling so in control for once. But he had a sneeking susupicion that was only because he was inside Quatre's home, where he knew he was safe. Where, Dr. Kenyan said, he wouldn't have an anxiety attack because he knew all the people around him. As long as he didn't slip back into a memeroy of Dr. Aykan, he was fine. More than fine. Right now he felt justified anger sweeping through him.

"Duo." Heero's face contorted in sad hurt. Duo looked away quickly. He didn't want to feel guilty righ now, he wanted to stay angry. He felt more like his old self like this.

"I'm just going to pop out for a second. If you'll excuse me." Dr. Kenyan excused herslef and shut the door gently behind her, seeing that this was a converstaion that needed to happen between Heero and Duo alone.

"Duo, why did you say that?" Heero asked.

"Because it's true. I head the two of you talking." Duo admitted, still keeping his anger close. "Wu Fei doen't think I'm stable. He thinks those years with Aykan made me nuts."

"Duo… I won't deny what Wu Fei suggested. But I will tell you that I know he was wrong." Heero assured Duo. "I know you did what you had to do to survive. That doesn't make you metnally unstable. It just means that you're still looking at things differntly."

"Different. Another way of saying wakko." Duo muttered, his anger was slowly leaking away. He liked being mad, but he didn't like that feeling turned towards Heero.

"Please Duo? We'll just try it, and if it doesn't work after a couple of times, then we'll try Dr. Kenyan." Heero asked.

Duo muttered a little more to himself. But he and Heero both knew that in the end he'd give in. Wether it was because Heero had admitted to the conversation he'd had with Wu Fei, or because on some level Duo still trusted Wu Fei, Duo knew that this was his best choice.

"Yeah, ok. But if I tell you it isn't working, you're gonna have to trust me. I know sometimes I push him, but it isn't always on purpose, and I'll be able to tell how far is too far." Duo warned him.

"Ok." Heero agreed. "I trust you."

"Good, because this is going to majorly awkward enough as it is." Duo sighed and they left the room to go find Wu Fei.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: As such, the state of my owning Gundam Wing is completely non-existent. So plz don't sue.

Sat down, reread the last chapter, started typing. It's just how it happens. Oh, and welcome to all the new readers! I've noticed you "favorite"ing me! Thanks! And of course, thank you so much to all my faithful readers!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 26: Again

"Is this Kitty?" David asked the voice on the other end of his cell phone. He sat outside the Peacecraft residence, much too frustrated to be surrounded by so much pink right now. Damn that woman. And damn Conner for putting them in her service. That man had to learn to turn down a job, even one that paid so well.

"Yeah. Who's this?" The voice demanded, feminine but firm and demanding.

"This is David. Conner said to call you." He waited and wasn't too surprised when the voice that was 'Kitty' became a lot more accommodating and much friendlier.

"Yeah sure, Conner. What do you need?" Kitty asked, "Weapons, explosives, transport, identification, papers, just name it."

David felt a little awkward but her business card said, very boldly, "We got what you need, for a price."

"I need staff. I need people willing to work for an uptight bitch obsessed with pink shit. I need someone willing to protect her even though she's not worth it and put up with her tantrums and snotty attitude. I need someone to occupy her time and keep her off my back and who understands how to keep her quiet without killing her like I really, really want to right now." David finished his rant with a good kick to a plotted plant and was only slightly satisfied when it burst and spilled soil over the pristine concrete that was the back porch.

"Ok." Kitty gave a slight laugh on her end. "Let's try that again. What do you need?"

"I need a staff for a house of a politician and a personal assistant that can double as a bodyguard without being obvious about it." David sighed and sat back down.

"Ok, they'll be at your location by five this evening. I'll just put it on Conner's tab." The phone went dead and David was left turning it off, feeling half impressed and half anticlimactic. But he just sighed, a little relieved and walked back into the house with a new reign on his anger.

Duo peeked around the corner and spied Wu Fei sitting at the large dining table, reading a file that was spread out around him. He had a cup of coffee off to his right and was holding a pencil while he read, marking the paper as he went. He was concentrating completely on his work, but just as Duo knew every escape route out of this house, he knew that Wu Fei was aware of his presence in the room. But just like the other pilots, he'd also learned to ignore such small changes unless they applied to him. Just because Duo was in the room now didn't mean he was there because Wu Fei was… Except in this case.

Behind him Heero sighed and pushed Duo further into the room with an encouraging smile and followed him in. Wu Fei did look up then, with both of them in the room, headed straight for him, he put down his file and waited.

"Hey Wu Fei, what're ya doin?" Duo asked, smiling and stopping before he normally would to talk to someone, keeping the space between them large, just in case.

"I am reviewing a file for The Preventers', analyzing the report they sent and will send it back to them shortly along with a note on this agents ability to use the spell-check on their word documents." Wu Fei said, eyes moving from Duo's nervous expression to Heero's calm but amused one.

"Oh, that all? Well, I can see you're busy so I'll just-" Heero cut in, cutting off Duo's rapid attempt at escape.

"Wu Fei, we have come to ask a favor of you, do you have time now to hear our request or shall we wait until after you are done here?" Heero was overly polite, Duo wanted to initiate a bow to go with Heero's words, but held back.

Wu Fei looked at them again, suspicious now, but nodded and pushed all the lose papers back into their folder. "I have time now, what is it you need?"

Heero looked at Duo which cued Wu Fei to look at Duo, which made him all that more nervous as he stumbled through his words.

"OK, so that woman told me that I need to learn to expose myself otherwise I'll always be nervous and even though she's trained Heero thinks it would be better if I had someone I was more experienced with so we decided that it would be you even though I know I piss you off all the time, so Heero said we could try it first and then go from there so I was wondering if you could teach me meditation." Duo said it all as fast as he could and hated how his cheeks turned red as he asked and then waited for Wu Fei to respond.

But Wu Fei's eyes had gone wide and he was just staring at Duo with a slightly open mouth. Duo stared back for a bit and then decided that that was an answer within itself.

"Well, that's a no. Come on Heero, let's go back and talk to the nice therapist." Duo started to drag Heero away, but Wu Fei interrupted.

"I am not sure how to answer because I do not understand the question." Wu Fei corrected and then looked at Duo with a raised eyebrow. "You want to learn meditation so that you may expose yourself in public?"

"Ew! No" Duo protested, not even thinking about what he had said, but sure now that he'd said it wrong. "I need to learn it so that I can expose myself to the public." Duo corrected.

"I don't see the difference." Wu Fei looked like he was about to start laughing or as if he were going to walk out of the room before Duo exposed himself right there.

"What I mean is, so I can be around people, you know, and not freak out. The doctor says I have arrogantphobia." Duo explained, exasperated and exhausted already. How was this going to go if he already couldn't stand it and they hadn't even started yet?

"Agoraphobia" Heero corrected from behind him.

"That too" Duo said and kept looking at Wu Fei. "So? Will you teach me?"

Heero elbowed him. "Please?" Duo added.

Wu Fei looked at the two of them, Duo with a nervous smile on his face and Heero with a slight pleading look behind him. He rubbed his forehead, "I suppose I can attempt to teach you, though I don't know how well you will be able to learn."

"Hey" Duo protested, but Wu Fei just kept on talking.

"Let me finish my work here and I will meet you in the attached gym in half an hour." And without further words Wu Fei turned back to his work and pulled out the paper he'd been looking at and took up his pencil again.

"Thank you Chang." Heero whispered as he pulled Duo out behind him.

"Yeah, thanks" Duo called as he let Heero pull him away, amazed at what had just transpired, and actually a little excited.

Duo sat on a weight lifting bench waiting, his foot jiggling in place, as Heero stood behind him, a calming hand on his shoulder. The attached gym was actually rather small by Quatre's standards. It just had a few machines, a punching bag, some weights and a practice mat. The locker room was actually bigger than the gym itself, with showers and lockers, but other than that, there were windows that looked out onto the yard and mirrors on the other walls. The locker room was big because it also attached to a swimming pool on the other side and opened in the back onto a tennis court and a basket ball court.

Duo didn't know who Quatre was having over as guest, but he couldn't possibly be using all of this himself. He occupied himself by thinking about who was using all this equipment, but then looked back at Heero in surprise.

"What is it?" Heero asked him, smiling at the surprised look on Duo's face.

"Do you come here a lot?" Duo asked, remembering that Heero had actually grown to really like basketball in the years after the war.

"Actually, yes I do. I've spent entire weekends here with the others. Why?" Heero smiled encouraging, secretly imagining how much greater those weekends would be with Duo back.

"Just wondering who was using all this." Duo motioned around him to the sports equipment.

"Quatre had most of this already, but added the basketball court and added more to this room when we started visiting more often." Heero didn't mention that he and Relena had played tennis here many times, just left her out of the picture as he explained.

'Oh, ok." Duo looked up as the door to the locker room opened and Wu Fei entered. He'd changed out of his slacks and shirt into something more comfortable. Loose pants swayed as he walked and the sleeves were gone from the shirt, and oddly enough, Wu Fei looked completely comfortable in them.

"Hey Fei" Duo greeted as he stood up to meet the man and nervously pulled at the t-shirt he was wearing. On Heero's suggestion, he'd also changed, and had felt a little foolish. Now he felt a little more prepared.

"Hello Duo." He turned and nodded to Heero, who smiled and leaned over to give Duo's hand an encouraging squeeze.

"I'll be back in an hour." Heero promised.

"Where are you going?" Duo felt panic rise in his chest.

"Just out shopping with Quatre, we'll be back shortly." He smiled at Duo, then added "You'll be fine" at seeing the look on Duo's face.

Duo smiled, though he didn't feel like it. And knew that he had to let go now or moving forward wouldn't be an option. "Yeah, ok. See you later." He tried to ignore the feeling of abandonment as Heero left.

He turned and looked at Wu Fei, a feeling of impending doom taking over. He felt his heart rate increase and tried to control his breathing as Wu Fei looked him over with a skeptical eye.

"First, you need to calm down." Wu Fei suddenly ordered as he led them to the practice mat.

"Easier said than done" Duo laughed nervously as he followed suit and sat across from Wu Fei tailor style.

Take deep breaths and relax. I'm not going to hurt you." Wu Fei gave him a smile and Duo nodded, feeling a little better.

"Right, of course not." Duo concentrated on breathing until his heart was beating slowly again and then opened his eyes expectantly at Wu Fei.

"Good." Wu Fei sighed; looking as if he were preparing himself for some great task he was dreading. Duo felt a slight blush, knowing that that task was him.

"Ok, now close your eyes and do as I say." Wu Fei said and also closed his eyes. "I want you to breathe in and hold it to the count of seven, and then slowly let that air out to the count of seven. No, not fast, slowly. There, good."

Duo tried to match his breathing to Wu Fei's and found it surprisingly easy.

"Ok, now, keep breathing like that, and as you do I want you to imagine that your body is full of smoke." Wu Fei said, but the image startled Duo out of the breathing and made him open his eyes.

"Huh?" Duo asked, scratching his arm and brushing his bangs out of his face, something he'd been itching to do.

"Keep breathing." Wu Fei ordered and Duo jolted and snapped his eyes shut again and went back to matching Wu Fei's breathing. It had been relaxing for a while. "Imagine that you have smoke inside your body, rolling around in your veins."

Duo didn't get it, but he had a pretty good imagination, so he just went with it.

"Now, I want you to gather that smoke. Every time you take in a breath I want you to imagine the smoke pulling in tight to the center of your body, just below your heart. And with each breath you pull more and more smoke." Wu Fei's voice was actually really soothing. Duo imagined.

"First from your fingers, yes good, then up your wrists to your elbows. Up from your toes, your legs. Keep pulling, making a small ball, tighter and tighter." Duo imagined it, almost feeling it, as Wu Fei guided him with his words.

"Now, have you gathered all the smoke?" Wu Fei asked after what felt like hours.

"Yes." Duo answered back quietly, his body feeling stable as stone, and his mind concentrating only on keeping his smoke ball in place.

"Good, now I want you to make it smaller. Wrap it up tight, make the smoke solid, and turn it into metal." Duo breathed in and out, concentrating. Everything else was gone, all noises and feelings disappearing as he made a metal ball in his chest.

Duo opened his mouth, about to tell Wu Fei he'd done it, triumph making him feel as if he were soaring, when he accidentally inhaled saliva. Instantly he lost the ball and his eyes snapped open as he fell into a coughing fit. He reached out and found the floor as his legs splayed behind him.

His right leg was numb and it felt like rubber bouncing on air as he tried to sit up to cough. He felt Wu Fei next to him, felt a hand on his back, rubbing. Duo thought he wouldn't stop, could feel his face turning red form the effort. But he did, and then he just sat there breathing, while his leg started to go pins and needles and he writhed. It was painful, trying to get the blood flowing, and he grimaced as the blood rushed back to the leg that had been trapped under his other leg.

"Why don't we take a break?" Wu Fei had gone to a small water cooler in the corner of the room and brought him back a drink. "Get up and walk around."

Duo hesitantly stood and walked to the windows, flexing his foot and rolling his shoulders as his back cracked.

"Sorry." He said quietly to Wu Fei as he sipped his water, shame now making his face red.

"It is all right. That was a very good try." Wu Fei smiled at him and Duo's eyebrows went up in surprise.

"Really?" Duo asked, giving a half smile back.

"Yes, for your first time, that was very good." Wu Fei admitted and also stretched out his muscles. Duo felt a little bit of pride glow in his chest.

"Now" Wu Fei said, calling back Duo's attention. "Let's try it again."


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing!!! If I did, I sure wouldn't be so poor!

Got inspired! I hope this is the start of a new trend in my updates! Don't forget to tell me how I'm doing! I know I'm really bad at spelling, but sometimes I forget what I've written so don't let me skip over plot holes without noticing them! And beware of plot alligators!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 27: Secrets

Relena stared at the woman standing in front of her, suspicious, but unable to point out anything wrong or find grounds of dismissal. She could actually admit to herself that had this been someone she had invited to her home for an interview, this would be exactly the woman she would have hired. But because she came on Conner's recommendation she was hesitant to approve the woman standing in front of her as a personal assistant.

Celeste was dressed properly, in a pants suit that fit her well, she had all her long black hair tied back in a braid and had proper manners when addressing Relena. If Relena had any complaint, it was the braid that reminded her too much of Duo Maxwell. As it was though, she had no problem with Celeste and nodded once to the woman.

"Go outside and get me Conner." Relena ordered.

"Yes M'am." Celeste turned and went to do as Relena bid. Relena smiled and relaxed a little, things were going to be much better now that she had proper help. And God willing, Conner would get his head out of his ass and do the job he was hired for. She needed Duo out of the picture, she had to get Heero back. There was no way she would let him destroy his life like this.

"You wanted to see me?" Conner stepped in and addressed her with his hands tucked firmly behind his back.

"She'll do. Now, are you going to take care of the situation, or am I going to have to hire someone else?" Relena snapped at him, furious with the results she was getting from someone who'd come so highly recommended.

"It'll get done m'am." Conner told her and turned and left.

Relena huffed, he hadn't even waited to be dismissed. She went about sipping her tea and looking over the folders on her desk. Trowa Barton's name stood out boldly on the page she was looking at. And as Relena kept reading a smile began to spread over her face.

Conner turned to David as he walked into the room they were using for down time and surveillance. David was done fuming, finally calm, and was fiddling with a home made bomb timer spread out on a table. Conner hesitated, David wasn't like Jackie, calm in control and good at doing his job without being noticed. David's way was loud, noisy, messy and a big show to anyone within a seven mile radius. But Justin was his tech guy and Cord was a last resort. With Jackie gone Conner had little choice unless he wanted to go and do the job himself.

So Conner sighed and went to talk to David, hoping against hope that this time his demolitions expert would be discreet.

"Not now Heero." Duo snapped back at The man following him away from lunch and Duo headed straight back to his room for a nap. He was exhausted after having spent the whole morning with Wu Fei, practicing meditation. And he had an appointment with Dr. Kenyan scheduled this afternoon, and that was sure to be exasperating at best. Duo wanted some rest between ten and now. Something Heero didn't seem to understand.

"I know you're dealing with a lot right now Duo, but you need to learn to read again sometime." Heero sighed, walking quickly after Duo.

"I know I do, but not today. I have too much to do today. Why didn't you suggest this on a day I don't see Kenyan." Duo shoved open the door to his room and headed to the bathroom for some aspirin. A headache was beginning to pound at the back of his head. His life would be a lot better if these headaches would just go away.

"I did suggest it. I suggested it yesterday. I suggested it five days before that. Duo, you can't keep avoiding this. You only see Dr. Kenyan four days a week, that give you plenty of time to start relearning to read." Heero stood in the middle of the room as Duo moved around him. Getting some pills from the bathroom and changing out of his work out clothes to some soft, cloth pants and a lose t-shirt he could sleep in.

"No you didn't" Duo argued, "Just forget it Heero. Let it go for now, I'm so tired." Duo collapsed on the bed and curled up for a quick nap. He just needed to close his eyes for an hour or so and maybe the headache would be gone when he woke up.

Heero sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at his pants as he listened to Duo's breathing slow and even out. He knew Duo was avoiding this, knew it would be hard. But Duo needed to start getting back to a normal lifestyle, it was doing him no good to keep to such a busy schedule with no time for relaxation and no changes.

Just the other day Duo had snapped at Wu Fei while meditating with some phrases that Heero had never heard come out of his mouth before. Sure, Duo used profanity when he was very angry or scared. He'd used plenty during the war, but some of these phrases… It worried him whenever Duo seemed to slip away, back to the prison. His mind supplying the delusion with emotions and memories that Heero couldn't stop. He could only be there when Duo came back and remembered where he was.

Granted, these lapses only lasted a few seconds, were over quickly and Duo was always apologetic to whoever he scared or snapped at. But the fact that they were still happening wasn't boding well on his therapy and meditation sessions. No matter how well they were going, something still wasn't changing in Duo's mind, and it needed to before the doctor would ok him for any trips into town. And Heero was sure he could cheer Duo up, renew his drive, if only he could get Duo some fresh air and a change of scenery.

But they were stuck here. And even though Duo had been locked up for so long, that didn't mean that he didn't remember being able to come and go as he pleased, it didn't mean that Duo didn't miss his freedom, that he didn't hate being confined. After all, a phobia wasn't logical. He may be afraid of large, open spaces, but somehow he still longed for them.

Heero sighed heavily, something he was doing quite a lot these days, and sat back on the bed where he could pick up his book on the side table and read while Duo rested. He was grateful that Duo was allowing him to sleep there with him. And despite his longing, he was happy just to be near Duo, no matter how much more he might have wanted.

"I got it!" Justin cried out and David smiled as he stood and went over to look at Justin's computer screen. The boy had a schedule for a delivery service pulled up and had a hacker program pulled up in a window next to it. "Is this what you need?"

David followed Justin's pointed finger to a list of destinations the company was delivering groceries to. Listed where Justin was pointing was the home of Quatre Raberba-Winner as receiving groceries… tomorrow.

"Perfect." David smiled, all teeth. He patted Justin on the shoulder as he began hacking the database of the company and turned back to his bomb. "Perfect." He muttered again to himself.

Duo pretended to still be asleep, he'd woken up a couple of minutes ago, but he just didn't want to deal with anything more today than he was forced to. Wu Fei had been patient, Dr. Kenyan was kind, Heero was loving. Everything in this mansion was perfect. These people cared for him, were there for him and wanted him to recover. Were ready to take the time out of their busy lives to make sure he would make a full comeback, and it was driving him crazy.

Duo longed for the days before any of this had started. For a while now the longing was so strong it hurt. For it to be just him and Heero again. Living day to day, just worrying about work and if their relationship would ever be something more than friendship. It'd been so perfect. Duo had been ready to live the rest of his life that way, had been ready to wait. And now it was so distracting being in the room with anyone let alone Heero.

At least when it was Heero he understood the reaction. He loved Heero, was so attracted to him. But his body and mind betrayed him when he was in the room with other people. Nurses, doctors, household staff, even Wu Fei. It was getting harder everyday to control the little impulses that shot off in his mind, dangerous, suspicious little thoughts that urged him to harm others before they attacked him first.

He knew they were delusions because he knew, both in his mind and as a part of him that trusted Heero, Quatre and Wu Fei, that no one here was going to harm him. But those thoughts were driving him to long further back, to a time right after the war when he had tried living alone. When all he'd had to worry about was himself. His job, his rent, his bills, just him. No roommates, no pets, no family. It'd been simply and it was that simplicity that he longed for now.

He could admit to himself that nothing here was overwhelming, no one was asking too much of him. There was really no reason for him to complain. If he had any frustrations it was with himself. But the nagging was there.

The nagging that told him to get away, to get on his own to take care of this. If you had a problem, you dealt with it. You didn't drag it out for other people to study and analyze, you didn't parade it around, or lean on others. Crutches would only hamper your ability to take care of yourself. And if you were going to survive, you hid the weaknesses and took care of your own problems on your own.

All his sessions with Dr. Kenyan told him that this was just something that he'd picked up from living on the street. But at the same time he couldn't really explain why, but he had the strongest urge to just get away. From everyone. Even Heero. And it hurt him, but it also was making him moody and anxious lately. Which meant that he kept taking things out on Heero that he didn't mean to. And it had him avoiding being taken care of, like having Heero help him relearn to read.

So he lay in bed now, awake and very aware of Heero sitting next to him on the bed reading. He pretended to still be asleep, keeping his breathing even and thinking. He was talking himself down, trying to convince himself that he was doing the right thing by staying. But everyday that he had to, it got harder.

And it shouldn't, he should want to stay next to the person he loved. Even though nothing had happened between them, even though he knew they should wait and that they would. Even though he knew that Heero loved him, had left… that woman. Still, he wanted to leave, wanted to be on his own. Wanted to go back to a time when the promise of everything, of his whole life before him was still fresh and still really meant something.

Duo almost sighed, almost rolled over into Heero's body, instinctually seeking comfort. But he held himself back and fought that urge and closed his eyes as he let the waves of pain that came with that wash over him. His headache was gone, but he almost wanted it back if it would distract him from this pain now.

Duo looked down at his hand, where he'd caught the assassins blade, almost healed. Medicine had worked it's way thought his system, killing infection and mending the skin. If only everything could be fixed that way. But bonds between people, psychological damage, there was no medicine for that.

Duo was determined to get better, but how could he when everyday being around Heero was like having a newly formed scab ripped off so that the bleeding could start again? How could he go back to who he'd been if this new person he was couldn't get up enough courage to walk in a crowd? How could he be the man that Heero loved if he couldn't even see Heero because of delusion?

Duo nearly gave himself away then, almost lost his small piece of peace as the need to punch something roared through him. It was just so damn hopeless.

Duo knew he wasn't supposed to think it, knew that thoughts like this were the sort of thing that would keep him from healing. But maybe… maybe if things had been different, or if fate really was a god that was cruel and unjust. Maybe he'd been meant to die that day. Maybe he wasn't supposed to be here, on stolen time, taking Heero away from a life he'd built without Duo.

And maybe even thought he knew that Heero would scold him and Wu Fei would call his notions ridiculous with no basis in reality, maybe Duo was right and they were wrong.

In which case he had to leave as soon as he could. Not just as a test this time. He had to leave to get better, by himself he might be able to remember who he was. By himself Duo would be free to find Shinigami.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing!!! If I did, I sure wouldn't be so poor! And I wouldn't have any problem getting published.

I know it's been a long time, but the next chapter posed a problem for me and I kept rethinking the next events over and over. But I finally got it all sorted out, so here it is.

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 28: Explosion

Duo stormed out of the room Dr. Kenyan used for their sessions and walked as quickly as he could, without running towards a door. Any door that would get him outside as quickly as possible. He needed fresh air, needed not to be in this building. He just needed to get away, even if it was just for a second, even if it wasn't real. He needed to be away from everyone. Needed to be where no one would talk at him. Needed to be not here. It was such a primary urge he couldn't even put proper words to it.

Duo found a door that lead out into the back garden and took it, barley able to keep from slamming the door behind him. He kept walking until he found some hedges that created a barrier between him and the building and the only thing to look at was flowers or a fountain. Duo stopped there and stared at the water for five minutes. Just stared and concentrated on breathing.

He used the technique Wu Fei had taught him for slowing his heart rate and tried not to think about anything and he breathed in and out in deep, slow breaths.

He didn't want to think about it anyway, because it just made him mad again. The nerve of that woman.

Duo stopped that thought, he could already feel the anger rising again and his hands bawling into fists. That wasn't what he needed right now. What he needed was reasons to stay. Duo continued ignoring everything else in his life at that moment but the fountain right in front of him. And he eventually got his heart rate down and found himself sitting on the stone bench set there.

"Damnit." Duo cursed, longing for a nap but knowing that if he went to bed now he'd end up waking in the middle of the night. And after doing that just the other day he was determined never to experience that ever again.

A new headache resurfaced as Duo thought about that night. He'd woken up since he'd taken a nap after his session with Dr. Kenyan, a trying one where she'd made him talk about the war compared to being in prison. He'd done a lot of yelling and needed the rest. But he'd woken up full of energy some time around three am and felt the need to get up and move around.

The problem with that had been that Heero had been laying right next to him, which meant the moment he moved to get up and out of bed, Heero had woken up.

"What's wrong?" Heero asked groggily.

"Nothing, just getting some water." Duo had tried and gone for the bathroom where he'd waited about seven minutes, taking the time to re-braid his hair and turn on the water for effect. Then he'd come back out, thinking Heero had fallen back asleep and started for the bedroom door.

"Where are you going?" Heero's voice had stopped him at the door, his hand on the door knob and making him grimace.

"Just… um… I think I'll get a quick snack. Didn't eat much at dinner." Which was true, but Duo just wasn't that hungry these days. But Heero wasn't going back to sleep like he'd hoped.

"It's not good for you to eat in the middle of the night, it'll keep you up." Heero had sat up then and Duo had let his shoulders slump. Heero was fully awake now and wasn't going to let him go without an explanation.

"Well I'm already wide awake so I guess it won't make that much of a difference, will it?" Duo hadn't meant the words to come out snappish, but they had and he regretted them as Heero frowned at him and started to get out of bed.

"Duo, what's really wrong?" Heero had asked and Duo just wanted him to go back to being unconscious so he could have just a couple of minutes alone.

"Nothing. I'm wide awake and I'm going to go into the living room. Probably read a book or something until I'm sleepy again. That ok with you?" Duo let the annoyance and the defeat into his voice, already resigned to Heero sticking his nose into this too.

"You can't sleep?" Heero had of course ignored his tone and his harsh words and jumped right to the point the thought was important.

"No." Duo kept his answer short and waited for the question he knew was coming.

"What is it? A nightmare?" Heero asked, concern urgent on his face as he tried to reach out to Duo.

Duo backed away and opened the door, ready to make his escape. "No, I was irresponsible and took a nap before dinner. Now I'm awake and I don't think I'm going to fall asleep anytime soon. So I'm going to go out into the living room so I don't disturb you and so I can turn on a light." Duo left then, not looking back and not waiting for a response this time.

He'd gone to the living room, turned on a light, and thought about his earlier words and started looking through Quatre's vast book collection. He'd found something to read after a few minutes and had turned to sit and read only to find Heero on the couch with a blanket across his lap.

"What are you doing?" Duo had demanded.

"I'll sit up with you till you're tired again." Heero had answered with a tired smile.

Duo had felt guilt and anger strike him at the same time. On the one hand it was a really sweet gesture, on the other he'd wanted the alone time. Not to mention that Heero looked exhausted and ready to fall back asleep at any moment. Not that he would, Duo knew from experience that Heero had no problem ignoring his body's needs so long as he through the cause was worth it.

"Heero, go back to bed. I'll be fine. I have a book." Duo had held up the book and waved it at the man.

Heero had yawned then and shook his head no. He actually slumped back into the couch and pulled the blanket up further. Duo had ground his teeth and purposely taken a seat in a chair instead of on the couch. He'd ignored how good Heero looked mussed form sleep and laying back on the couch and read his book determinedly.

When he'd finally gotten tired a couple of hours later he'd looked up to find Heero spread out on the couch asleep and the guilt had come again. He'd stood, put away the book and walked over to stand in front of the couch.

"Why won't you let me try some things alone?" He'd asked sleeping Heero. "I didn't ask you to run yourself into the ground for me. I don't want you to."

He'd stared at Heero, watched his eyes moving beneath closed lids in a vivid dream. He'd then taken a step back and spoke Heero's name softly. Heero had of course come awake instantly and Duo had dragged them back to bed where he'd finally gotten back to sleep.

Now here he was again. Seeking solitude. And almost as if on cue he head a door close somewhere behind him. Duo ground his teeth, his calm gone, and wondered how long it would take before he wore his teeth down from frustration and had to get dentures.

"I came out here to be alone Heero." Duo spoke to the person behind him, already sure that he could be heard and already sure about who it was.

"I know. I'll just wait for you over by the garden patio. When you're ready we'll go back in." Heero had said and Duo couldn't help the groan of fury.

"No Heero, you'll wait inside. I don't want to sit here knowing that you're watching my every move." Duo barked and stood up. "I want to be alone. I mean really alone, not just standing by myself with you less than twenty feet away. That's not alone."

"I don't think…" Heero started and Duo interrupted him with one of his favorite come backs.

"No, you don't." Duo didn't want to turn to see the hurt look on Heero's face, the one he knew was there now, so he just kept talking to the fountain. "I need some time to myself. I'm never alone here. I'm suffocating from claustrophobia."

"Then we need to talk to Dr. Kenyan about it." Heero jumped in.

"Oh gods, you're not hearing me on purpose, aren't you." Duo realized and then did turn to look at Heero. "I'm done. That's it, I'm leaving and I'll be back when I'm good and ready, but I'm going alone. If you follow me, and I will know, then I won't come back. So just stay here Heero. I need to think."

Duo walked quickly then, right past Heero and into the house. He headed for the kitchen, intent on getting a bottle of water and then heading out right down the front driveway. No sneaking off this time, they'd know he left. And he'd come back on his own terms, not theirs.

The kitchen was surprisingly busy and Duo found himself in the company of two men he'd never seen before. Both were blonde and wore hats that had a logo on it with food. They were bringing in packages and setting them on the counters where the two women who made up the kitchen staff were putting away their contents.

It was groceries. Duo was surprised he hadn't come across this befoe now. He'd been wondering who did the shopping. Apparently it was all just delivered instead of someone going out and buying all this food. Maybe that was better, there was certainly a lot of it coming in.

Duo pushed past one of the women to quickly grab a bottle of water from one of the fridges and then followed one of the delivery guys outside where they were unloading a truck parked in the driveway.

"Duo." Heero's voice stopped him and Duo groaned as he waited, not even sure why he tried anymore. "This isn't the answer. Just come back and we'll talk about this."

Duo gave him a look and Heero stumbled over his words, panic clearly written across his face. "Or we could walk and talk. Just don't go out alone, it isn't safe."

Duo stared at the men unloading the truck, thinking, one of them was now handing boxes down from the truck and the other was piling them next to the door to the kitchen. One of them had a limp and Duo felt for him, at least until the guy looked at him. Then he just got chills and tried to ignore them. He needed to figure out what to say to Heero and this abrupt demand for conversation wasn't helping.

"Heero, not now, I need to just walk." Duo shifted his eyes to the men, trying to let Heero know that he didn't want to do this in front of strangers.

"No Duo, if we don't talk about this now…"

"What, the world will end? You'll jump in front of a car? I'll turn into a pumpkin? Please tell me, cuz I'd really like to know what's so urgent that we gotta parade our problems out in front of complete strangers."

They'd heard him, Duo had known they would. And just like any of Quatre's employees, they suddenly made themselves scarce. Even going so far as to set down their boxes right in front of Heero and Duo and walk around to get into the cab of their truck so they'd be out of earshot.

"Great, look at that. There's probably cold stuff in there." Duo put his water down and walked forward to pick up the box and take it inside, maybe he could distract Heero in there and get away.

"Duo, forget the box." Heero wretched the box out of Duo's hands and turned to set it down on the other boxes stacked by the door. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"Because you're being completely and totally unreasonable Heero, I'm mentally unstable, yeah, but that doesn't mean…" Duo's words were completely forgotten as Heero turned to him, took a few steps back towards him and the box he'd just set down exploded.

Duo fell backwards as the blast hit him, instinctively keeping his head tucked in towards his chest so it didn't hit the pavement. He let go of the air in his lungs and just tried to get another breath.

He felt Heero's bulk hit him below the knees and opened his eyes as he took a lungful of smoke. Debris hit them, Duo felt the burn on his skin and the bite of pieces of metal shooting past him. He heard a vehicle's engine turn over, though it was muffled, and turned just in time to see the truck that had delivered their groceries peel rubber off Quatre's estate.

"Damn." Duo cursed, his own voice muffled, the explosion had effected his hearing. "Heero?" Duo tried to sit up, wincing at the muscles that protested and the pain in his palms where they'd been cut.

Heero was across his shins, the back his shirt burned, his skin blistered. Burnt hair and smoke filled Duo's nose as he reached out to shake Heero. He hesitated at the sight of Heero's skin sliced open and burned, he recognized some kind of shrapnel from the bomb and worry made his heart beat funny and the air in his lungs catch so that it was hard to breath. Heero wasn't moving.

Duo could hear people coming outside now, knew it'd probably only been about a minute, but time was slowing down for him. Nothing around him made sense.

"Heero?" Duo heard the panic in his own voice and tried to get ahold of himself. He knew what to do, he was a war veteran for crying out loud. "Heero, don't move ok, I've got ya, it'll be ok."

Duo looked around him and finally saw Wu Fei running towards him from the house. The look on his face was what got to him. The worry, the panic, the anger and desperation. Duo felt a crash and clutched at Heero, Heero who wasn't moving. Heero who was his rock and now was laying on him burnt and cut up and still not moving.

"Help." He knew his voice couldn't be heard, knew it was probably a whisper. But it was that one word that broke the damn, Duo yelled then. "Wu Fei, help me!"


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing!!! If I did, I sure wouldn't be so poor! And I wouldn't have any problem getting published.

Ok people, here's the next chapter. And you can all thank 1X2 for this update. Thank you for the review, this one is updated so quickly just for you! ^_~

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 29: Recovery

Heero lay face down on the bed, the white sheet was not a good contrast for his wounds. Duo was up by his head, standing over him, holding his hand tightly while he watched the doctors. They were pulling the slim pieces of metal from Heero's back now, and though it made him sick to his stomach, Duo wouldn't move.

He actually, literally couldn't move. And while the doctors probably didn't want him there, Duo had plain out refused to leave and it had taken both Quatre and Dr. Kenyan to convince the doctors to let him stay. Meanwhile Duo was doing everything he could not to notice the fact that they were in a hospital.

He did his best to ignore the smell, the white walls, the shiny instruments, and most of all, all the doctors. All the doctors who looked like _him_.

But it turned out not to be so difficult once the doctors had started pulling things out of Heero's skin. When they'd first gotten there Duo had panicked at seeing all the doctors coming for him and Heero. Had wanted to drag Heero out of there, even if he had to tend to the wounds himself. But Wu Fei had been there, had talked him down, had reminded him to keep his attention on Heero. And now here he was, holding Heero's hand, trying not to squeeze too hard and watching as they pulled metal out of Heero's back.

He'll be fine, he'll be fine. The mantra Duo kept repeating to himself was almost white noise in his head now. He just watched closely, searching with keen eyes for anything the doctors might have missed. Watched them treat the burns. He was just glad they'd ruled out any major internal damage. Had Duo had to wait for Heero in the hospital while he was in surgery, he was sure that he would have gone mad.

But it was mostly surface wounds, the kind that needed stitches, on Heero's back. A very, very bad place to have stitches, Duo knew from experience, but nothing that was life threatening. Something that wasn't going to keep those delivery men safe when Duo found them.

"Celeste, get me Conner." Relena smiled sweetly at her assistant as she stapled some papers together and put them in a file. It was almost done, almost time.

"Yes Ma'am." Celeste stood from her desk near the door to Relena's office and left quickly. Relena smiled to herself, she'd chosen well with that woman.

Conner walked in moments later and Relena smiled sweetly at him and held up the file she'd just finished making. "I have something for you."

"What is it Ma'am?" Conner asked, stepping forward to take it. Celeste took her seat back at her desk, becoming invisible as she was meant to.

"This is a file on Trowa Barton, and a few forms that will make isolating him from his friends very, very easy." Relena smiled wickedly. She hadn't forgotten how that circus clown had treated her when he'd come to steal Heero's things from their home.

"Thank you Ma'am, this will be very helpful." Conner took the file and started to leave.

"Don't you want to know what they are?" Relena asked, all too ready to gloat.

"I'll have to look at them later Miss Relena, we are in the process of doing damage control." Conner said quickly.

"Damage control? What did you do now?" Relena demanded.

"I sent David to take care of Maxwell, he is my demolitions expert."

"Oh." A surprised smile appeared on Relena's face. "I see. Good."

The phone at her desk rang and Conner watched her pick it up and then tried to back out of the room.

"Hello? Yes, this is she." Relena answered, listened for a minute and then her angry glare turned on Conner just as he was leaving her office. "No Conner, you get back here this instant."

Conner ground his teeth, but turned back and waited while Relena thanked the person on the phone and hung up. She looked at him then, her face a harsh smile that showed no kindness.

"Conner, would you be so kind as to explain why your demolitions expert did not blow up Duo Maxwell, but rather My Fiancé!?"

Duo sat in a very uncomfortable chair but held his station next to Heero. Heero was lain on his stomach, his back covered with a raised sheet so nothing touched his back. The burns were salved with a shiny ointment that gave off a funny smell, but Duo ignored it. He only needed Heero to wake up, to say just two words to him.

Wu Fei and Quatre kept urging him to go home, to get some rest. That he was exposing himself to too much right then and that he was going to overload or something, but Duo wasn't paying them any mind. He was just waiting.

And he would continue waiting as long as he needed to, damn the consequences.

Heero lay so still, just breathing. He was on some painkillers since the muscles on his back would hurt every time he moved anything. And Duo knew that Heero hated pain killers just as much as he did, so he had to be here when Heero, woke up. Heero would want to know where he was, how much time had passed and what the doctors had done to him. Then he'd want to know if Duo was ok, then he'd want to know what was being done about the bomb. Duo had all his answers lined up in that order in his head and just waited.

He didn't like sitting here, alone with his own thoughts. He wished someone was here with him. But Quatre and Wu Fei were back at the mansion investigating the bomb. They'd left only after asking Duo about a dozen times if he'd be ok alone. Duo had been too consumed with watching Heero, waiting. The doctors had still been applying the burn ointment.

Now Duo had wished he'd stopped to think about just how long it would take Heero to wake up. How he'd be sitting in the hospital, probably for hours. In silence.

Even Kenyan was better than this.

Duo sighed and scooted the chair close so he could lean back and still hold Heero's hand. Heero would wake up sooner than most people, his body already adapt at fighting off painkillers like Duo's was, but it would still be a long time since the doctors had predicted that he wouldn't wake up until the next evening.

Duo thought about calling Quatre's estate and having someone bring him a book, but thought better of it, the house was probably crawling with police and Preventors. No one would have time. Duo looked around, there was nothing in the sparse room, and looking around just reminded him that he was in a hospital and made him want to run out and keep running till he couldn't see the hospital or even take proper breaths.

So Duo closed his eyes and tried to rest. His nerves were ragged and his pulse wouldn't slow down no matter how many deep breaths he took. Duo couldn't keep his eyes closed for very long, they kept shooting open to check on Heero, or any time someone passed by the door. And he was very aware of each announcement on the overhead that asked for a doctor, or announced a phone call. Duo also found he could easily listen in on the conversations going on at the nurses station.

"Is Mr. O'Malley ready to be released?"

"Oh, just as soon as he signs these. The doctor is finishing wrapping his ribs now."

"What about the Santa Cruz couple?"

"Oh, they took her into surgery."

"Really, that's too bad, she looked fine the last time I checked."

"It was sudden, they just went in, like, three minutes ago."

"Ok, well I'm going to go give the release papers to the Montoya's and do med rounds."

"Will the little boy be ok? He was such a darling, do you know he asked me if I would marry him when he was older when I took his temperature." The nurses laughed and cooed.

"He'll be ok, but the doctor did say he might have a limp for a while."

The rest of the women's chatter died out as Duo sat up straight and stared at the wall. He didn't see it though, what he saw was the delivery man who'd given him chills. The man who'd been limping. The blonde man with the dark eyes who'd set the box down right in front of him before getting back into the truck.

The man who had helped 'kill' him.

Duo let go of Heero's hand and reached into his pockets frantically, no phone. The hospital had taken Heero's, Duo cursed and started to leave the room. But he froze at the door and looked down the long, sterile hall. His vision started to tunnel, the edges going dark and the end of the hallway brightening as doctors walked around, nurses popping in and out of doors with carts and bottles and Duo felt his breathing speed.

"This isn't his hospital." Duo told himself quietly but firmly, he looked back at Heero, his eyes still closed, his breathing still even. The heart monitor letting out a constant, soft beep every second, almost like clockwork. "I'm not there. I'm here."

Duo walked out into the hallway then, his vision clear. He went straight for the nurses station and the women there stopped talking as he approached. Two of them were suspicious, but the third stared at him like he was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. That was his target. He gave her a brief smile, still serious, but friendly.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm not supposed to use cell phones in the hospital, but I need to make a call, it's urgent. May I use your phone?"

"Sure." The woman whispered back and turned quickly to snatch up the phone from the other side of the counter, picking up the whole thing and setting it on the edge where Duo could get to it. "Dial nine first to dial out."

"Thank you so much." Duo gave her another smile and then quickly dialed Wu Fei's cell phone, grateful he had such a good memory. It rang once… twice… started to ring a third time and then Duo heard the click of Wu Fei answering.

"What?" Wu Fei asked, Duo could hear the frustration in his voice, but knew it wasn't directed at him.

"It's Duo. I just remembered something."

"What is it?" Wu Fei's voice was kinder and rapt now.

"One of the delivery men, the one with the limp, I know him."

"Who was it?" The noise in the background disappeared, Duo could just imagine him holding up a hand with an angry face, silencing anyone who'd been talking to or around him.

"That was one of the men who…" Duo paused, very aware that the nurses around him were listening to his every word. "He was one of the men I met before the accident four years ago."

Silence. Duo waited, he'd wanted to do this all on his own, but even he knew how much of a liability he was right now. He could trust Wu Fei to take care of this. He could. He could also just ignore the shame, the guilt and the queasy feeling.

"I'm coming down there, we'll need a description and a statement from you. Stay with Heero, I'll be there in a few minutes." Wu Fei was hanging up then, but Duo caught a little bit of him yelling at the people around him before the line went dead.

Duo hung up, a little stunned, but something akin to relief was flowing through him. He turned towards the nurse and smiled, real this time. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." The nurse replied and smiled back at him. "How is Mr. Yuy doing?"

"He's still asleep." Duo answered, already turned slightly to make his exit.

"He probably will be for a while. Why don't you come down to the cafeteria and get some food?" The nurse asked him, her smile beguiling now, hopeful.

"Oh, thank you, but I don't want to leave my friend alone." Duo took a step then, back towards Heero, to wait for Wu Fei.

"Then how about after his Fiancé gets here?" The nurse pushed, stepping towards him, her chest thrust out.

Duo paled at the words, not really seeing her anymore. "What?"

"Oh, don't worry, we called her as soon as Mr. Yuy came in. She is his emergency contact." The nurse replied with a reassuring smile, misinterpreting his reaction.

"No." Duo dragged the word out and felt panic rushing through his veins.

"I'm sorry, what?" The nurse asked, confused.

"I need to use your phone again." Duo blabbed quickly and grabbed the phone before any of them could answer, quickly punching in Wu Fei's number again.

"Hello?" Wu Fei answered.

"Relena." Duo burst out, unable to form his words properly. And he was about to explain, when he herd the elevator ding at the end of the hall.

All Duo had to see was one flash of pink before he dropped the phone and ducked around the nurses station to hide.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing!!! If I did, I sure wouldn't be so poor! And I wouldn't have any problem getting published.

Yaye! An update, and a turning point! Oh, a few things first, I has a poll on the main page. Also, I am using the forums. It's a blog thing right now since no one is there, but come visit and chat with me! (I need a little help)

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 30: Return

Duo was crouched down on the other side of the nurses station. Never mind that the three women were looking from him to the elevator and back again, backing away from him as if he were mentally unstable. Never mind that the halls were roaming with doctors that might or might not be Aykan, and all of them could be converging on this floor at this very moment. Never mind that Wu Fei might be on his way, or still on his phone trying to figure out why Duo had called him, shouted one word and then disappeared. What mattered here was that Duo was hiding behind a very short wall from Relena Peacecraft.

He remembered hiding just like this not to long ago, against a wall outside on a perfectly nice day. That had been a phobia, an irrational fear that he couldn't control. He was learning on how to deal with that though with help, but even fear of this hospital wasn't something he could control, but was understandable.

But Relena freaking Peacecraft? When the hell had that happened!? There was no way Duo would ever be afraid of that little, spoiled, pampered, Pepto-Bismol colored, toy poodle.

Duo looked down at his feet as if expecting to see a line drawn there that he had crossed to get to this point in his life. Instead, he heard the click of very important heels followed by not as important, but significant by association, heels.

Emergency contact. Who had been stupid enough to forget to change that? Duo was very, very sure it hadn't been Heero. Had it been someone's job to change all that stuff, like making sure Duo's dental records were recovered, and it had just been forgotten, or buried under a pile of other papers? And Fiancé? That was just a kick in the ba… well, that was a kick where no one wanted to be kicked.

So apparently Relena was delusional, as well as murderous and so far in denial that she couldn't let go of Heero even when he told her off himself. No way had they ever, ever been engaged.

Ever. Duo took a deep breath and counted to ten. Ever.

…Had they?

"Please, I need a moment alone with him." Duo jumped as he heard her voice, just on the other side of the station and three doors down. She was going into Heero's room. Oh Hell No!

Duo was fine with being afraid of doctors, and even of being afraid of open spaces, but fear of Relena Peacecraft was where he stopped it all. Enough.

Duo stood, ignoring the nurses backing away from him and a doctor jumping in surprise when Duo suddenly appeared. Duo looked to Heero's room and found a woman standing guard there. Ah, important by association heels. Duo started walking towards her, getting her full attention and seeing something in her eyes that he didn't like. Soldiers instincts. This woman wasn't just another of Relena's lackeys, this was a bodyguard he'd have to get by. And from what he was already getting off this woman, it wasn't going to be quick or easy.

"Don't worry honey, I'm going to get you the best medical treatment there is. I already called my personal physician, he's having a room prepared for you right now. We'll have you out of her in no time." Relena's cooing voice carried and Duo felt a chill go down his spine and raise all the little hairs on his body at the same time he felt anger start his blood to boiling. He would see that woman through a window before she ever tried to remove Heero from his side.

"Stop there or I'll be forced to stop you." The woman guarding the door snapped when Duo was about seven feet away. She was only slightly shorter than him, and, oddly, wore her hair back in a braid. Duo was surprised anyone was allowed to wear their hair like that around Princess Peacecraft.

"Then you'll have to stop me, because I really need to have a word with her majesty. And it's not going to wait, rather urgent really. She had an appointment with my fist that she can't afford to miss." Duo wasn't sure where these words were coming from, but Heero was alone with that witch on the other side of this woman, and he wasn't about to let that stop him.

"Last warning." The woman started to smile, a smile that Duo recognized all too well from seeing it so often in a mirror. And just for a moment he felt a slight twinge of regret. If she hadn't been so devotedly in Relena's service, Duo could see this woman as someone he would go drinking with. But as it was, he was about to have a good tussle with her at the least. Oh well, maybe that was just as good.

"Still not listening." Duo smirked right back and it was as if energy rolled through him. He didn't feel tense or anxious, scared or desperate. Duo felt fine, he felt ready for a good fight.

"Hold it right there. Stop it this instant." A doctor was trying to step between them, but neither Duo or this woman were about to let anything stop this fight, and they both launched themselves at each other at the same time.

***

"Was that Duo again?" Quatre asked as he signed a paper and turned to Wu Fei, he paused as he found the man standing still as stone, staring at his cell phone and pale as a ghost. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"We have to get there now." Wu Fei snapped at him and started towards the front door, Quatre quick on his heels trying to figure out what was going on.

"What is it? What did Duo say, is everything ok?"

"All he said was 'Relena'."

"Why would he… do you think she's there?"

"I think it's very, very possible." Wu Fei drove, ignoring a few traffic laws in his rush to get to the hospital.

"What is she doing here?" Quatre was already calling for backup, his voice tainted with an anger he didn't usually feel.

"We'll find out soon enough." Wu Fei pulled up to the hospital and they left the car sitting at the curb in front of the ER entrance, uncaring at this point and bolted for the elevators.

"We have agents on their way." Quatre said as he and Wu Fei waited for the doors to open. "They'll search the perimeter as well."

"Good." was all Wu Fei said in reply, watching the doors, waiting. He didn't know why, but it felt as if Heero had somehow unconsciously charged him with Duo's safety, which was ridiculous. There was no logic behind that feeling, not to mention no way Heero could have seen any of this coming.

And then the elevator doors were opening and Quatre and Wu Fei walked into a mess of shouting, crashing, shoving, biting, punching and spectators. Wu Fei stepped out a froze, unsure of what to do.

On the one hand, Duo was actually fighting with a woman, both of them locked together, struggling to get free while keeping a hold on the other. They kept running into things like carts full of sheets and the framed pictures on the wall. It was obviously a situation where he was meant to step in and stop what was going on. The doctors and nurses were trying, but anytime they got close the pair either moved away or yelled back.

It was a very arresting sight. But even more than that, Wu Fei found himself staring in awe at someone he used to know and respect and had thought would be lost forever.

Duo was laughing manically while ruthlessly teasing the woman he had hooked with his arm and was fighting almost on handedly as he kept her in place with the other.

"You know, you should wear heels or something, might give you at least a fair advantage if you could look me in the eye." Duo's laughter made something in his gut clench.

"Oh, you wish kinky boy. Do heels really get you off as much as hitting a girl?" The woman shot back, obviously equally enjoying this fight.

"Both of you stop this at once! Celeste, we need to save Heero from this barbarian, dispatch him ime… I mean, call security." Relena's voice drew Wu Fei's eyes, she was indeed here.

Quatre let out a chuckle next to him, wonder on his face as he looked at Wu Fei. "Guess we should break them apart."

Wu Fei couldn't help the little smile that stole onto his face, he too felt that strange mix of feelings at seeing Duo act the way he used to after such a long time of seeing a strange, hesitant and fearful, copy in his place.

"Duo, let the poor woman go." Quatre called out as they both started forward, the doctors and nurses looking relieved at the sight of them.

"No way, make her let go first." Duo yelped back, laughter making his comment light even as they both fell backwards into the wall and tried to pin each other.

"Both of you let go at the same time, this is no way to resolve…" Wu Fei started and the woman interrupted him.

"You just want me to let go first cuz I'm wining." She swung around and Wu Fei and Quatre were both surprised to see identical braids swing around after them.

"Sure, that's why I'm on my back on the floor begging for mercy. Oh no wait, that's gonna be you." Duo threw back as good as he got.

"Duo, let her go." Quatre laughed at the same time Relena snapped.

"Celeste, let him go and do your job." Relena was looking between Duo, Wu Fei and Quatre with a worried, scared look on her face.

Duo and Celeste broke apart and both stepped back, grinning wildly at each other, but it didn't last as Relena spoke again.

"We are leaving now, and taking Heero to a proper hospital where he'll get the treatment he needs."

"The hell you are lady." Duo shot back and Relena froze, everyone froze, staring at Duo who was breathing a little harder than usual, but was still smiling manically.

"What did you say to me?" Relena demanded but then let out a little yelp as Duo took several steps towards her.

"You heard me, you're not taking Heero anywhere. In fact, that whole thing about you being his emergency contact was just an overlooked mistake. You're nothing to him now. Not his fiancé, not his girlfriend, not his friend, nothing. Just a women he once knew. So you just need to get your little, spoiled ass out of here before I make you leave." Duo yelled at Relena past Celeste who suddenly looked serious standing in front of Relena, doing her job as a personal assistant who doubled as a bodyguard. "And I'd suggest you leave, because I promise you that if you force me to make you, I will enjoy it way too much."

Relena gaped at him, doing a great impression of a fish, and then tried to sputter out an answer, only to have Celeste suddenly grab her upper arm and usher her down the hall.

"Let's go Ma'am, I think visiting hours are over now." And then the two women were in the elevator, gone.

Quatre did a little jump and threw his arms around Duo's neck. "Duo, that was amazing."

"Thanks." Duo laughed, a little shakily. He could feel the beginnings of a headache building in the back of his brain, and he was really tired now. And yet he still felt great, better than he had for years.

"You handled that superbly." Wu Fei clasped Duo's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze and giving Duo a smile that was returned with a wide grin. "Let's change that paperwork before Heero wake up."

"I can't believe you guys missed that one." Duo laughed as he let Quatre lead him to Heero's room, all too ready to sit down.

"All the paper work is kind of piling up." Quatre admitted. "Trowa and I are working on it. Just give us some time."

Duo laughed as he collapsed in the chair next to Heero's bed, amazed that Heero was still asleep, had slept through the whole thing.

***

"I have never been so humiliated in my whole life." Relena yelled as soon as she was in the door, storming straight towards Conner.

"Oh I'm sure that's a lie." David scoffed under his breath as he removed himself from her warpath.

"What is wrong Miss Peacecraft?" Conner asked as she stalked up to him. "Where is your fiancé?"

"With that street trash!" Relena snapped back, "They wouldn't let me… they wouldn't let him come with me. They ganged up on me."

"Please calm down Ma'am, you should rest." Celeste was there at her elbow, guiding the woman to a chair even as she continued to yell at Conner.

"This is getting ridiculous. You're not only not doing your job, you're doing more damage than good. You nearly killed the man who is to be my husband!" Relena was a very interesting shade of red by this point.

"I am sorry if our service has been less than satisfactory up till now, but I would like to assure you…" Conner started but Relena interrupted.

"Less than satisfactory, that is quite an understatement if I ever heard one."

"I would like to assure you that we are well on our way to dealing with your problem." Conner continued like she hadn't spoken. "As we speak I have men in place executing a grab, and it is all thanks to the information you provided me with just this afternoon."

Relena paused, looking at him suspiciously, but then a smile slowly spread across her face. "Well, that's more like it."


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing!!! If I did, I sure wouldn't be so poor! And I wouldn't have any problem getting published.

Ok, here we go. Finally got my notes together and I know what comes next! Thanks to ken627 for giving me a nudge in the right direction!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 31: Confined

Trowa stared up into darkness and felt his lungs squeeze hard in panic. It was painful and for a moment, it was like he couldn't breathe. But concentrating forced him to take a deep breath and try and blink. Yes it was dark, but his eyes were open. Trowa was about to try sitting up when he realized that the breath he had taken hadn't been as deep as he'd meant it to be. And not only that, the air tasted funny, stale and reused.

Trowa's suspicions instantly jumped from very low to very high. He'd thought maybe he was trapped in a room somewhere, but now he tried lifting his arms, a slight fear coming to mind as he did.

But as he lifted his arms, Trowa's hands hit something before they could even turn over, and it was a wall of something over the top of his body, inches from his face. His heart started beating faster and faster as he moved his arms sideways, following that wall that hid the light and stopped him from sitting up.

Coffin. The word screamed through him as he found walls inches from either shoulder. He was in a coffin. There was no way it wasn't one. The walls were padded, there was a pillow under his head and when he moved his feet, he found the same problem he had with his hands and arms.

Trowa tried to keep his breathing even, tried to think logically. Tried to push down memories of a vast blackness as he pushed up on the lid of the coffin over him. But logic flew out the window when the lid didn't even budge.

Trowa was trapped.

Conner had sent Cord to do the job. He wasn't going to let there be anymore mistakes. And David was too brash for there not to be. And Justin was too young. And Conner had been instructed to stay inside today so that Relena Peacecraft could yell at him.

So Cord had taken the file provided by the Peacecraft woman and had followed Justin's instructions on where to find Trowa Barton. He had fond the man at a cemetery taking to the keeper.

Duo Maxwell had been honored at an L2 gravesite on Earth. He'd been given a memorial and his "remains" had been sent into space. Cord had remembered seeing the ceremony covered by the news when it had happened.

"Of course." The keeper was saying, "Will you be sending someone to find…"

"Yes." Barton had replied. "Someone has already been sent to find what was sent into space so that the remains may be identified and the victim's family can be informed."

Cord has smiled to himself as he pretended to be a customer waiting, mourning a loved one. He kept his ears open, listening as Trowa Barton went through the steps of having Duo Maxwell's name scrubbed from a tombstone. And an idea sprung up in his mind. He felt the syringe in his pocket and looked around at the empty coffins on display for customers. It was hard to fight the smile that wanted to break out over his face as Cord ran through the plan in his mind and was glad that he had brought his truck.

Trowa had felt the needle slide into his neck with bewilderment. Who had just snuck up on him? Who was behind him now that he hadn't heard or sensed? He'd lapsed into unconsciousness instantly and woken in the coffin and now that he was concentrating on not panicking, he finally noticed that he was moving. The whole coffin was moving, like he was in a car.

Reason stated that someone had drugged him and that same person had put him in a coffin and was either driving him somewhere or had sent him with someone else. Depending on which scenario was correct, Trowa either had to deal with one person or several. But neither one was looking good right now, locked inside a coffin, on his way to an unknown destination.

Trowa could do nothing else at the moment but lay still and try not to give in to delusion or panic. And wait.

Duo hovered, hovered like Heero was going to break any second. If Heero wanted water, he got it. If Heero was uncomfortable he fluffed pillows or adjusted the bed. He was in charge of the TV as well and watching over the Doctor's shoulder to make sure he was doing everything right. The only problem was that he couldn't seem to shut up, the whole time he was hovering, he was talking.

"That bitch, thinking she could come in here and just whisk you away!? I mean, of all the nerve. It's just egotistic. The worst kind too, not like a doctor who has every right to think highly of himself. She's just pushing fame, trying to make it last long enough to get you chained to her ring finger." Duo tried not to slam down the cup of water for Heero, but a little bit ended up sloshing over the side anyway. "Sorry, I got it." Duo turned and picked up a napkin from the side table and cleaned up the mess he'd made on the moveable tray and looked up to find Heero grinning at him.

"What?" Duo asked, unnerved by the strained smile. Strained because Heero was sitting up and his back was probably killing him, but he'd refused to lay on his stomach any more now that he was awake.

"I'm just glad you're so… energetic." Heero said, his voice low since taking deep breaths hurt.

Duo stared back at him with wide eyes for a second, going over that statement in his mind. It was true, he did feel hyped up, so much in fact that he hadn't had time to panic since Relena had left and Heero had woken up.

He'd made Wu Fei and Quatre wait till he explained what was happening to Heero and then he'd given his statement to Wu Fei and after he'd been left with Heero he'd focused all of his energy there. So here he was, feeling fine, a bit outraged, but for once it was like everything was how it was supposed to be.

He didn't see things that weren't there and the hospital wasn't making his skin crawl. Duo felt like he'd just been hit in the brain with a flyswatter. He focused his eyes on Heero and felt a smile creep onto his face. Heero returned it and picked up the cup of water to take a sip.

"Yeah, ok. You know you're weird right?" Duo threw the napkin away. "You should be worrying about yourself, not me."

"I'm not worrying, I just told you I was glad." Heero smirked.

"Oh, you're worrying. I know you, you worry all the time." Duo wagged his finger at Heero. "You never stop. In fact I think it's what fuels you."

"I run on worry?" Heero asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Hey, you said it, not me." Duo laughed. Heero laughed and then hissed as he jerked to a stop, trying to hold as still as possible.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Duo was instantly back to hovering, his hands ready to reach out and grab Heero, but hesitant to do so now and hurt him more. "I won't make you laugh again, I promise!"

"No." Heero wheezed as he clutched the moving tray in front of him, not hearing the wood whine under his fingers. "Don't…. promise… that…"

"What?" Duo asked as he tried to figure out something to do. He checked the bandages on Heero's back for a lack of something handy to punch. At least there was no blood there, so it meant Heero hadn't reopened his stitches.

"Don't… promise… that…. Please." Heero gasped through the pain.

"Fine ok, I'll make you laugh everyday after you're better. Just not while you're back is ripped up, ok?" Duo growled out, gently removing Heero's hand from the table before it snapped.

"Good." Heero ground out as he held on to Duo's hand, though more conscious about how hard he squeezed now.

"As long as you teach me how to read again." Duo said, averting his eyes, a slight blush coming to his cheeks. It burned to ask for help, but it was also a bit of a relief at this point. He could feel Heero looking at him, knew he was probably shocked first and was now smiling, that one that irked him at the same time that it made his heart soar.

"Alright." Heero agreed quietly, and with just that one word he was letting Duo know so much. That it was ok that he asked, that he wasn't going to rub anything in, that he'd be patient even when Duo was being impossible. And it made Duo smile back.

The doctor came in then, looked at Heero's pained expression and smiled gently. "Most of the body's nerves run though the back to connect to the brain, any sudden moment will be painful for the next few days."

"I think he noticed." Duo smirked and gave the doctor a smile. "What up now? More fluid checks?"

"No, I'm here with release papers actually." The doctor held up a clip board with a smiled.

"Good." Heero said at the same time Duo said, "What?"

They looked at each other and then Duo barged on. "Are you sure that's a good idea? He's in a lot of pain, and what about his fluid levels? He can barely move let alone walk, how's he supposed to get out of here, and what's he supposed to do once he is out of here?" Duo felt a little bit of panic rising, but squashed it quick by a quick counting technique Wu Fie had taught him.

"It's alright Mr. Maxwell. His injuries were not serious, no internal damage. Mr. Yuy will only have to wait till we can take the stitches out in two weeks. In the mean time he should have lots of bed rest and he can do that just as well at home as here and we need the bed for other patients. Just be sure that he doesn't do an strenuous activities and drinks plenty of fluids and bring him back in two weeks times." The Doctor handed Duo the clip board. "I'll be back in a few minutes with a ward and a wheel chair to escort you down to your car."

Duo was left looking at Heero with the clipboard and an expression of mild realization. "I don't have a car. Do you?"

"Yes, but it's not here. At least I'm assuming not since I was unconscious for the trip here." Heero smiled faintly, shifting and trying not to jerk this time.

"Yeah, we kinda rode in an ambulance." Duo admitted thinking about if he should call Wu Fei again or if he should call a cab.

"If you call the estate they can send someone to pick us up." Heero hinted non to subtly.

"Ah, good plan." Duo smiled and ducked out of the room to used the phone again while Heero leaned ever so slightly over so he could fill out the form and held in a hiss of pain. He liked Duo worrying over him, it felt like old times, but he didn't want Duo to worry too much.

Before Duo had been gone from his life, Heero had worried over him, everyday, though he'd been better at hiding it. The only time their roles had been switched had been times like this when work had caused Heero to end up in the hospital. It'd been times like that when Heero and Duo had almost grasped hold of something they both wanted, but it had always seemed like a bad time to start a relationship.

Even now, Heero wanted desperately to extend the first offer, but as usual, their timing seemed to be off. He couldn't see forcing a relationship on Duo right now, even with this brief lapse, he was still fragile. And the number of headaches Duo was still getting was starting to worry him. He'd meant to ask someone about that, but Duo had been upset and then everything had happened at once.

Now it was there in his mind again as he signed the last paper. He'd have to ask someone soon, before something else happened. But right now Duo was coming back and he was looking at a long ride home, and he was sure he was going to feel every bump.

"Well, it's a good thing they doped you up before we left." Duo couldn't help the chuckle that escaped as he slowly helped Heero from the backseat of the car.

"Yes." Heero wheezed out, holding onto the 's' a bit longer than necessary. He was still in pain, but it was a dull throb rather than a sharp one that made him want to keel over.

"Let's get you inside and into bed." Duo muttered, worry more present in his mind than humor.

"Sounds good to me." Heero slurred back.

"Come on, nice fluffy bed, just up a small, itsy, bitsy flight of stairs." Duo winced in sympathy as Heero groaned at the reminder. "Right, let's just go, sooner we start, the sooner we can get you into bed."

They'd just started walking when Quatre came out to help. "Hi Heero, welcome back. How are you feeling?"

Heero gave him a groan and a lopsided grin. "Ah, I see, pain medication." Quatre smiled and took post at Heero's other side and together he and Duo got Heero up and into bed where he instantly feel asleep.

The two of them backed out of the room quietly and started down stairs.

"Thank Quat." Duo smiled brightly, "He's doing good, but man I… what's wrong?"

Duo had just gotten a good look at Quatre, and it was a shock. Quatre had looked fine just two days ago when he'd stopped by to help with the Relena incident, but now he looked haggard, worn out and worried. Almost panic stricken. And Duo knew that look well enough from the mirror to recognize it now.

"It's Trowa" Quatre gasped as he wrung his hands in front of him. "I didn't realize with the bomb and it was all happening so fast, with everyone here and all those investigators and you in the hospital with Heero and then Relena showing up. Then I kept getting calls from the local press and the family of my staff, everyone worried and having to look into all the deliveries we've had in the last…" Duo cut him off.

"Quatre, you're rambling, what is it? What's happened?" Duo demanded reaching out to catch hold of Quatre's shoulders to focus, and to ground him.

"Trowa was supposed to check in five days ago. He's never missed a check in before."


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I own very, very little. All crammed into a two bedroom apartment. And looking around, I see no Gundam Wing. So yeah, don't own it.

It's the next chapter! Yaye! This one is dedicated to edprysock!!! Thanks for the encouragement. That and some bagel bites got me through this chapter.

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 32: Vanished

Duo didn't like that his first reaction to Quatre's news was so morbid, but the thought just jumped into his head and took root there. He knew Trowa well enough to know that he would never do this to Quatre on purpose or simply out of forgetfulness. So that left only a few options as to what had happened to the man and none of them sat well as Duo reached out and took Quatre's hand.

"Alright, we can deal with this." Duo reassured him. "Do you know where he was last?"

Quatre took a deep breath and answered, "The Honorary L2 cemetery."

Duo held in a grimace. What his imagination came up with now was even worse. "Damn." He whispered and then back tracked as he saw Quatre turn ashen.

"No, ok. Easy, we know where he was, we'll work from there. I'll tell Heero and you go see if Wu Fei can be spared and meet me up in Heero's room." Duo rushed up to Heero's room, but he wasn't even sure if Heero would wake up after the day he'd had. What he did know was that Heero would be upset if he found out later that Duo hadn't even tried to wake him and tell him. So he knocked softly and called Heero's name, secretly hoping he wouldn't get an answer.

But of course he knew Heero would answer even before the man groggily called back to Duo. A soldiers instincts could wake a man from a dead sleep and their enhanced bodies meant that Heero could fight off the drugs he was taking if he really wanted to. Duo entered quietly and walked over to Heero's bed, crouching down next to it.

"Hey, I'm sorry to wake you, but we have just a little bit of a situation, nothing you should worry over, just you know, a thing." Duo gave Heero the best smile he could and willed him to stay where he was.

"What's wrong?" Heero asked, his words slurred and his eyes fighting against him to close again.

"Nothing big, a little thing. Just a teensy, tiny thing. Not even worth being awake for. I can totally take care of this. Just a thing. I mean, maybe it could take some time, but I can handle this. You just need to rest. Rest an liquids, remember. Doc said. So I'm gonna take care of the thing and you can rest and focus on getting better. Me, thing, you, rest. Got it. We both have assigned tasks. Nothing we can't handle, right?" Duo talked fast, hoping that if he took long enough Heero might just drift off and then later he could tell Heero that he had told him, but he'd fallen asleep before the words had got out.

But with each word Heero looked more awake, more worried, in fact, now he was trying to sit up.

"What's going on?" Heero asked as he fought briefly with Duo on the sitting up thing and lost.

"Ok, don't freak out. Like I said, I can handle this. And I'll have Quat and Fei with me, so it's not like I'm going it alone. I'll be just as safe as you are lying in this bed right now." Duo didn't really feel he had to defend himself, but he knew it would make Heero feel better.

"Will you please tell me?" Heero asked, his eyes pleading as he fought sleep.

"Trowa's missing." Duo finally spat out.

"What?" Heero was definitely awake now.

"Well, a lot's been going on, and Quatre kind of just realized he hasn't checked in like he was supposed to. And we can't get a hold of him. So I was thinking you would just rest her, get better and all that, and me, Fei and Quat would go get him." Duo gave Heero a big smile, meant to be reassuring. Heero looked like he might be sick.

"No." He weakly protested, but Duo could see the panic behind it.

"Heero, it'll be fine. Ok? I'm going to have the guys with me." Duo reached out and grabbed Heero hand as firmly as he thought he could without jerking Heero's arm and pulling on his stitches. "Remember, these are the guys who helped me while you were unconscious. They're our friends, they'd never let anything bad happen to me."

Duo could see he'd hit the nail right on the head, Heero was flabbergasted, out of excuses, but still worried to an enormous degree.

"Look, I know you only just got me back. Right? That's how you see it?" Duo asked as he crouched down so he could be at eye level with Heero, so the man wouldn't have to strain to look up at him. Heero made a face, probably thinking about denying it. But Duo just smiled at him, letting him know that it was ok.

"I thought you were dead. I never expected to see you again. To hear your voice again. To… to get a chance to touch you one more time." Heero hated how pain killers made him emotional, but he knew Duo would understand, having gone through the same thing several times."

"Ok. And I thought I'd never get to see you again. But here we are." He squeezed Heero's hand for emphasis. "But I also spent all that time trapped. Alone. Unable to do anything for myself but survive. No one expected anything from me. No one was kind or thought of me, and I in turn only thought of myself."

Heero stared, trying to follow Duo's train of thought but wondering if he'd purchased the same ticket. Maybe he'd boarded the wrong train at the station and had no hope of catching up.

"Thing is, I want to help Quatre and Trowa. I want to be dependable again. Someone you guys see as an equal. Not as someone damaged who has to be taken care of twenty-four seven." Duo couldn't help the strain that was pulling at his smile, making it a grimace.

"Duo, we don't…" Duo cut him off.

"I know. But that's what it feels like to me. And probably Wu Fei." Duo gave a little laugh to let Heero know he was joking. Even though he thought their might be some truth to that last bit. "Let me be dependable. I'm going to help get Trowa back. And you'll have the reassurance of Quatre and Wu Fei being there." Duo finished.

Heero sighed heavily. "I don't like you being so far away. Where I can't see that you're all right. Where I can't be in case you need my help."

Duo tried not to let his disappointment show, tried to keep smiling. But it was hard.

"Bu I guess… if Quatre and Wu Fei are there…" Heero really didn't like it, but he also saw that he couldn't be the force holding Duo back, it would break them both. Duo had to do this.

Duo gave him a real smile, one that almost made the room brighter, even with all the curtains closed. "I'll call. Every night. Ok?" Duo leaned over and dared to brush his lips against Heero's forehead. He blushed from embarrassment, but it felt right.

"Every night." Heero agreed. "Please, be safe." Heero urged and the sincerity with which he said it made a lump in Duo's throat. Made him almost take everything back and yell that he wasn't going anywhere. But he just nodded, let go of Heero's hand and gave a wave at the door before closing it softly so that Heero could drift back to sleep.

He found Wu Fei and Quatre waiting for him in the hall. Wu Fei looked distracted, kept not meeting Duo's eyes. Duo's brow furrowed in puzzlement. But he only needed to glance at Quatre's shining eyes to know that both men had heard everything.

"Right." Duo sighed, drawing the word out. "Now that I am completely humiliated, lets see about getting Trowa back." He grabbed Quatre's shoulder, pushing him towards the stairs. Glad the attention was off of him, but a little guilty at the total three sixty Quatre's expression had taken. But it didn't really matter too much, they were going to get Trowa back. And heaven or hell help the poor bastards that had just brought three ex Gundam pilots down around their heads.

***

"Ok, Cord just called to tell us he's on his way to Peter's Peak." Justin announced. Conner looked up from the data pad in his hand. He was sitting at the table with David and Justin. David was tinkering with some homemade bombs and Justin had a headset on while he sat in front of a laptop.

Justin had just hung up on a call from Cord. And so far everything was going according to plan. Cord was in route to a remote location where he would take care of Trowa Barton and The other pilots would pursue, hoping to rescue their comrade. Leaving two behind, Heero Yuy who was too injured to fight right now. Too injured to do much of anything right now.

And Duo Maxwell, who would be useless to them now. Wrought with worry over Heero Yuy and crippled mentally from his prison stay. He was a liability that the other pilots would not risk given their pasts.

If everything went like it should, Conner, with Justin and David, would attack Winner's home while the two other pilots were gone. They would execute Duo Maxwell, fulfilling their contract. And they would bring Heero Yuy back to his supposed fiancé, leaving them on good terms with Relena Peacecraft. Then they would leave the woman behind forever, never doing business with her again, but making sure she would have the opportunity to mention their good service to her brother and his associates.

"Good." Conner nodded at Justin who started typing fast while David took his silent cue to start cleaning up. Conner finished his document and sent it off, pausing long enough to send a message to Celeste to tell her that they were leaving and that Relena was now under her sole custody.

"This had better be it." David grumbled. "I am getting sick and tired of doing that prissy, stuck up, little…" Conner cut him off with a look. If Relena heard him no doubt they'd been in for another ear full.

"Don't see why we can't just terminate the contract instead." David grumbled as he tucked everything again in a small duffle bag he was going to take with them.

"Hey, why can't we do that?" Justin asked, looking up as if he'd just really heard David's words for the first time. "It doesn't really seem worth it anymore."

"Because, I don't work that way. Isn't good for business." Conner grumbled as he checked his guns and strapped some knives onto his forearms.

"Oh." Justin shrugged and kept packing, perfectly willing to go along with Conner's orders.

"I'm starting to not care who she's related to, if I have to hear about her problems one more time, her issues are going to be a lot more dire than just a fiancé who keeps running off with another man." David zipped his duffle bag shut and followed Justin out the door, leaving Conner to lock up behind them.

"Time erases all problems." Conner told himself quietly, all he had to do was wait patiently till Relena and everyone around her forgot their connection with the woman. Then they'd see just how good her security was when he wasn't there and it was just her and her kept man.

***

Trowa really didn't like how long they were driving, how long it was taking them to get wherever it was they were going. He tried to keep track of time in his mind, but the coffin kept giving him slight panic attacks and he would lose count. So he only had a general idea of how long it was taking. What was odd was how few stop light they ran into. And how traffic had gotten significantly lighter as they drove.

Trowa could only guess that they were either on their way to another city, or someplace far more rural. And since he was trapped in a coffin, that brought to mind a few ideas about where this was going to end.

Trowa found himself thinking of Quatre, wondering how his lover was doing. No doubt his little Blonde was looking for him. He would notice when Trowa didn't check in like he always did. Would probably have Wu Fei helping him. But if they hadn't found him by now, it was unlikely they'd find him before whoever had knocked him out finally decided what to do with him.

There had been security at the cemetery, Quatre and Wu Fei would no doubt check it. But the driver had made several stops, he could have changed plates and cloths, even hair color. It might be enough to throw Quatre and Wu Fei off his scent.

And Trowa was pretty sure his captor wasn't too concerned with keeping him alive since he'd not one checked on Trowa at any of the stops. Not for food or water, and not to let him use the bathroom. Which was why Trowa was thinking so hard, he was trying to distract himself from some very basic needs.

It was pretty easy to distract himself though, see as how nothing was looking good at all. Trowa figure he was probably looking at a live burial. Something that terrified him. Something that made him want to pound the lit of the coffin till it broke or his hands did. Something that made him want to scream himself horse and kick the foot of the coffin for all he was worth.

He was disgusted with himself for the fear and disgusted with the maker of this coffin who had seen fit to line it with some sort of metal. Most likely to keep living things away from the dead.

How would that man feel knowing his coffin would be the death of someone and their final resting place. Trowa could only hope that his death would either buy Quatre some time to figure out who Peacecraft had hired or bring awareness to the distribution and usage of coffins. Either way, he could feel Death, imitate and that brought one small happy thought. Of Duo, of one mission where it had just been the two of them and Duo had tried to share his philosophy about becoming Death itself rather than running from it. And he had in a way, not only become Death, but defied it and used it against others.

Trowa tried not to let hope grab hold of him, but it was hard with the knowledge that both Quatre and Duo were out there somewhere. That they were backed by Wu Fei and Heero. It was very hard not to be hopeful even as Trowa noticed a change in the angle of the car. They were climbing now, changing elevation. But to what end?


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: I own very, very little. All crammed into a two bedroom apartment. And looking around, I see no Gundam Wing. So yeah, don't own it.

Thank you to the 297 people who are on the alert list for this fic! I would name you all here, but that would take space away from the fic, and I know you don't want that. So I'll just say THANK YOU! And hang in there, I haven't forgotten.

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 33: Pursuit

"Would you just sit still, Jeeze Quat! I'm really, really glad Fei insisted on driving." Duo tried to keep a hold of his anger as Quatre's knees banged into the back of his seat again.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Quatre said for what was probably the 35th time, wringing his hands. "I'm just… are we there yet?"

"Seriously, if you keep asking I'm going to reach back there and smack you upside the head every time. You can see just as well as I can that we're still on the highway." Duo grumbled, rolling his neck and letting out a relieved sigh when it cracked.

"Yes, ok. Right." Quatre nodded, sitting back and then sitting forward again.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm being annoying, I'm just…"

"Anxious about Trowa." Duo finished for him. "Yes, I know. But you shouldn't worry too much, you know we're going to find him. That and it's giving you these little wrinkles on your forehead. Trowa's not going to want you anymore when you show up all wizened and grey." Duo shook his head, faking a look of quite concern. Smiling to himself when Quatre's hand shot up to his forehead, feeling around.

"Maxwell, will you quit baiting Winner, I can't drive with your bickering driving me to quiet insanity." Wu Fei snapped at Duo.

"Awe, Fei. I didn't know you found me that distracting." Duo batted his eyelashes at Wu Fei causing the man to jump in speed as his foot twitched. Duo laughed and Wu Fei growled at him.

"There, There's our turn" Quatre exclaimed, pointing to a sign for the Honorary L2 Cemetery, labeling it's exit as being 11/2 miles away. Wu Fei checked his blind spot and started to merge to the right so they wouldn't miss it.

"Stop bouncing. You know this is only the first step." Duo scolded Quatre. Quatre nodded, but still couldn't keep still.

"I will speak to the owner, Duo would you…" Wu Fei started.

"I'm talking to security." Duo cut in.

"I'll go with you Wu Fei." Quatre offered, all of them knowing the Winner name would smooth over a lot of what they were doing.

"Turn there, it's on your left." Duo suddenly pointed, effectively stopping Wu Fei's complaint.

He still tried to continue though, "Duo I don't think you should…"

Duo popped open his door before they were all the way stopped. "Oh you never think I should Fei. Just let me do my thing, I'll find you guys when I'm done." And Duo's door was closing in Wu Fei's face.

"He doesn't appear to be suffering from any anxiety. Do you think the mediation has helped that much already?" Quatre asked as he got out of the back of Wu Fei's car.

Wu Fei started after Duo's bouncing braid, half the length he'd been so used to seeing. "No. I don't."

Heero needed to get up and use the bathroom, but the prospect of moving that much was making him contemplate if he really had to go that much. If he could hold it another hour or two and put off the pain it was going to cause him to make that little trip.

Heero decided that he wasn't one to put off pain and he scooted to the edge of the bed, ready to slide off as best he could on his stomach. How he longed to lay on his back, or even his side. It would make this whole ordeal much more tolerable. Heero decided that in the future he'd rather have a stomach wound than one on his back. It hurt and burned, but at least every little twitch didn't leave him fighting from wriggling. It was a double shock when he moved the wrong way, the first being the initial pain, and the second coming from fighting not to move in reaction to that pain and making it worse.

Heero put one foot down and reached out to put and hand on the bedside table so he could lever himself up and knocked over a glass of water left there by one of the servants. Servants he could have called to help him, but the thought hadn't even occurred to him till he saw the water soaking into the carpet.

Thunk.

Heero started at the sudden sound that seemed like a delayed reaction to his fallen glass. Until he realized it had come from downstairs. Which was very odd, Quatre's servants were usually much too composed to even make the smallest of noises that might travel through the rooms of Quatre's home.

Heero heard another noise then, a muffled scream that was silenced much too quickly. Heero narrowed his eyes and ground his teeth as he stood as quickly as possible and started walking towards the chair in the corner of the room where Duo had left his belongings that had been taken from him at the hospital.

His gun lay right on top.

"What is taking him so…" Wu Fei's head snapped around as Duo strolled towards them from around the corner of the building. Wu Fei and Quatre had been waiting by the car.

"Sorry. Here I am. What did you guys get?" Duo asked.

"A confused man recovering from a blow to the back of the head and a fuzzy description of Trowa." Wu Fei answered, his frustration plain.

"That and the description of several clients he had and that makes about eight possible suspects." Quatre added. "Did you find out anything useful from the security guard, Duo?"

"Well, the coffin room camera was blacked out for about two hours before the guard noticed." Duo shrugged. "So we should head north."

Quatre and Wu Fei started at him.

"How did you get North from a blacked out camera?" Wu Fei demanded.

"Oh, that was useless. Obviously." Duo rolled his eyes. "I got that from the other footage of the parking lot and the hallway where the bathrooms are."

"You saw the person who took Trowa? You saw them drive north?" Quatre demanded, looking around himself for the north exit of the parking lot. There wasn't one. His gaze returned to Duo, confused.

"No, couldn't really see him from the hallway camera. He was too far away." Duo shrugged and Wu Fei ground his teeth. "Just trust me. What I saw, and the 'missing items' all point north." Duo opened the font passenger side door, urging the other two to follow him.

Wu Fei shook his head, but got in. Duo's wayward guesses were all they had to go on right now. And he'd already placed a call to the local authorities and back to Preventors. Quatre sighed hard, his breath coming quick and worry making his hands tremble as he grabbed hold of the door handle.

"Hey Quat, you bring your com pad with you?" Duo asked over the front seat as Wu Fei backed out and then waited for a chance to merge with traffic.

"Yes." Quatre handed his com pad over the front seat and scooted up so he could watch over Duo's shoulder as his fingers began to fly over the touch screen. "What are you doing?"

"Some quick hack work, just want to check a few gas stations." Duo smiled, knowing Quatre could see it and feeling a wave of satisfaction at the jerk in Wu Fei's shoulders next to him. Just as he'd thought, Wu Fei hadn't had much faith in his hunch, not like he would have before the whole prison fiasco. Maybe, just maybe, he could get Trowa back and reinstall that faith. Here's hoping they weren't too late.

Heero braced himself against the wall, halfway down the stairs, his hand holding the gun trembling as he fought not to fall forward.

"Mr. Yuy" One of the kitchen staff was running up the stairs for him, he was grateful he wouldn't need to be vertical much longer. He took Heero's weight and Heero sagged against the man.

"I called the authorities, they're on their way." The man started him down the stairs, hopefully aiming for that couch in the front room, he really needed to lay down. "You hit at least one of them, there's blood on the floor of the foyer. How did you know they were here?"

"I need a phone." Heero interrupted him, not having time for all this awe and admiration.

"Yes, sir, of course." The man called out to a small woman who was peeking out from behind the door that lead to Quatre's downstairs office. "Billie, bring Mr. Yuy his cell phone." The small woman nodded and started up the stairs, Heero watched her until the man holding him was helping him to lay face down on the front room couch.

"Shall I call the hospital for you Mr. Yuy, you look like you're in a lot of pain." The man offered.

Heero shook his head, then stopped abruptly as it pulled. "Not necessary, I only need to make one call." Heero was silently grateful that he hadn't needed to ask for his cell phone instead of the ground line in the house. Quatre had his staff well trained.

"Here you are Mr. Yuy." Billie, the maid, was back with his cell phone and handed it to him as he turned his head so that he wasn't facing cushion.

"Thank you." Heero started to dial.

Duo started as his pocket began to ring and vibrate. He held the com pad with one hand while he dug around for his phone with the other. He pulled it out and saw Heero's ID on the front screen and flipped it open quickly.

"Heero?" Duo asked, aware of Quatre watching him avidly.

"If you are as safe as I am at home in this bed then you're in trouble. Where are you?" Heero asked over Duo's cell phone. Duo instantly felt panic slither down his spine and claw it's way into his stomach.

"Why aren't you safe at home in bed? What happened?" Duo demanded clutching his cell phone, his finger turning up the volume on the side of the phone in desperation.

"Three men just tried to force their way in the front door. I just showed them the front door." Heero replied, Duo felt a little relief when Heero made a joke, telling him silently that he was ok.

"You get any of 'em?" Duo asked, giving Quatre a smile, letting him and Wu Fei know it was ok since they could only hear half the conversation.

"At least one. Where are you?" Heero asked again, in the background Duo could hear voices, probably the staff, maybe even the authorities already.

"We left the L2C about two hours ago. We're headed north." Duo sighed heavily, Quatre's com pad was coming to be very helpful, but it was also spelling out a very grim answer as to where Trowa was being taken. "Heero, it's not good. If we're headed where I think we're headed…"

"Where?" Heero asked, his voice telling Duo he was ready, already in soldier mode. He was expecting the worst, just as they'd been trained to be.

"We're headed towards Peter's Peak." Duo answered, wondering if he needed to explain further.

"The Lake." Heero answered. It was half and question, half a statement.

"Yes." Duo answered the question.

"Have you told Quatre?" Heero asked, knowing that the man in question would only hear Duo's answers.

"No." Duo answered, feeling guilt and wondering again, as he had for the past twenty minutes, if he should wait or just spell it out for his friend.

"Do it soon." Heero instructed him, and there was his answer.

"Ok." Duo nodded, even though Heero couldn't see him.

"Be safe." Heero instructed him again.

"I will." Duo smiled, hoping it came through in his voice. "I'd tell you the same, but I think you will be now that they've had a taste of your answer to break ins."

Heero chuckled and said goodbye. Duo hung up and half turned in his seat to face Quatre. Heero has said to tell him, so he did, no point in sugar coating it.

"Quatre, we're following him up Peter's Peak. There's a lake up there. And there was a missing coffin from the L2 Cemetery." Duo reached out and took Quatre's hand as he watched blood and life drain from his friend.

"Oh Allah." Quatre whispered.

Trowa could hear more cars now, it's been so quiet for so long. The road was evening out as well. They were high, there were many small mountains around the area. Trowa had admired their beauty as he'd been waiting to talk to someone at the L2 Cemetery.

Trowa started to bang on the lid of the coffin again. No matter how quick Quatre and Wu Fei were to react at this point, how long were they behind him and his captor? How long had he been unconscious? How far had they traveled from the L2 Cemetery?

Trowa yelled now, if no one else could hear him, the person driving would.

"Let me out, this isn't going to work. I'll be missed and the people missing me aren't going to like this." Trowa yelled. "You'll be lucky to survive the next twenty-four hours."

No reply. Trowa normally didn't shout, he wasn't one to make a ruckus. But he was quickly losing his hold on rational thought. This coffin reminded him of too many things, besides what it obviously was. It was bringing up memories that he'd only had nightmares about this many years after the war.

"Let Me Out" Trowa yelled and felt a couple of fingers break as he slammed his hands as hard as he could into the lid of the coffin. But he didn't stop, couldn't stop.

But the car did.


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I think I own a few souls that aren't my own, but I don't own Gundam Wing. No Sue-ing-edge-tastic please.

Got inspired, so I'm throwing you another chapter. And if you would be so kind, I thrive off of reviews!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 34: Recognition

"What happened to Heero?" Wu Fei asked as he drove up Peter's Peak, trying to distract Duo and Quatre, and probably himself, from how fast he was driving.

"Three guys tried to force their way into the mansion." Duo explained. "I don't think they were expecting Heero."

"You mean an armed Preventor Agent?" Quatre asked, Duo pretended he didn't hear the strain in Quatre's voice, or how it was half distracted. Mostly distracted. Ok, well, he wasn't sure Quatre knew at all what he was saying, but that was given.

"No, I mean Heero." Duo smiled a little to himself, just picturing the faces on those men when they looked up and saw Heero there, injured but still holding his gun steady and aimed right on them, made him want to giggle.

"Where is this Lake?" Wu Fei asked Duo, bringing him back to the present.

"Normally it's a bit of a hike, but I think your car can handle it Fei." Duo smiled at him, all teeth.

Wu Fei slanted his eyes, but didn't put up any protest, it told Duo just how worried he was about Trowa's situation.

He felt it too, his heart slamming into his ribs, remaining calm was starting to put a strain on his last nerve. But instead of tucking back into himself, Duo was surprised to find an old habit pop up. He was starting to feel a little giddy, a bit slap happy, and just a tad manic. It was a state that had gotten him through a lot of tight spots in the past, but when it had counted, he hadn't been able to find it.

But here it was now, out of the blue, and he couldn't help cracking his knuckles in anticipation. If only Wu Fei would stop worrying about people getting out of the way, when you drove fast enough, people just moved for you.

Trowa couldn't feel his hands, couldn't feel anything beyond his elbows. He was horse now, his yelling had done nothing. And now he was running out of air quickly. It had been foolish to hope, to think that Quatre would notice soon enough with everything going on at home.

Home. Quatre.

Trowa tried not to hyperventilate, but the thought of never seeing Quatre again, of never seeing their friends again, of never coming home where it was warm and he was welcomed…

Trowa squeezed his eyes closed tightly, accepting that he was going to die in this coffin, where no one could get to him.

"Ignore him, just go." Duo yelled at Wu Fei.

"I can't ignore him, he's a Ranger, we're on government land." Wu Fei argued as he slowed down the car.

"You work for the government, you can explain it to them later, Trowa isn't just sitting around waiting for us with a glass of lemonade." Duo hadn't been wearing his seatbelt, which made it easy for him to shove his leg over the gear shift and smash it down on the gas pedal.

The car jumped and Wu Fei took his foot off the brake to keep it from stalling and they shot forward, over the curb and past the shocked Ranger who has just barely gotten out of the way. But Duo's theory stood, he had gotten out of the way.

"Duo, stop it, I can't steer." Duo retracted his leg from where he'd awkwardly stuck it, but now Quatre was urging Wu Fei to drive faster.

"The shore is just there, I can see it. Wu Fei, drive faster." Quatre pleaded and Wu Fei finally stopped fighting them and poured it on.

Duo was scanning the area as they drove, the Lake coming into view and it's shore was barren. Duo ground his teeth, but as they passed the last line of trees he pointed and shouted. "Right"

Wu Fei turned on reaction alone and then they all saw the hearse. It was parked right there beyond the sand, on the grass that surrounded the Lake.

"He's in the water." Duo opened the door before Wu Fei stopped the car and used the momentum to jump off the hood and start at a run towards the man wading as quickly as he could out of the water.

"Hold it right there scum." Duo yelled as the man started picking up his legs, trying to get out of the water faster. He'd only been waist deep, but Duo bet that he'd waded out to the drop off, which meant he was still shin deep and the Lake had a gradual shore that wasn't very steep.

Duo's legs were pumping as well, slamming down into the ground where he was pushing off as hard as he could, leaving behind wells in the soft earth. He hit the man just as the man reached the back of the hearse.

Duo used his momentum to slam him into the back of the hearse and also to carry his fist into the mans jaw, splitting his lip and splitting Duo's knuckles on his teeth. There was a double bang of the back of the mans skull into the car, but as in all things, Duo's punch had been calculated and it wasn't enough to knock the man out, just to successfully stun him.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Duo scoffed as he stood and dragged the man up to a standing position against the hearse as Wu Fei and Quatre came running up behind him.

Duo had fully intended to hand the man over to Wu Fei, but when that face came up to meet his Duo lost it. He felt fear strike through him first, but that was quickly replaced by a strong wave of vengeance.

Duo punched him, punched him again and again, in the stomach, in the side, in the chest and in the face, as if he could punch clean through the man. The man with short, brown, spiky hair, the man with dark eyes, the man with the scar across his right cheek, from eye to lip. The man he had seen, had held him against that wall while they did to him what Duo was doing to him right now.

No, he was not surviving this, not if Duo had a say. Not after they'd put that drug in him, made him helpless, stolen him away from his life.

"Duo stop, stop it, you're going to kill him." Quatre had a hold of one arm and Wu Fei was trying to drag the other away from the mans neck.

"Why, why should I stop? Give me one good reason I should let him live?" He spat at Quatre then turned to the man. "Where's Trowa, what did you do to Trowa Barton?"

Quatre's hold on his arm loosened. Duo felt satisfaction, Quatre wouldn't stop him anymore, or at least with a lot less effort, it'd been a low blow, but there wasn't anything he wasn't prepared to do right that moment to keep from killing this man. The only thing slowing him down was Wu Fei and the fact that he didn't have a blade or a gun on him.

"Where do you think he is?" The man spat out a mouthful of blood and glared at Duo as he also spat out a tooth.

"Quatre, go, go get him." Duo told his friend, taking his arm back from Quatre and shoving the man back against the hearse. "I got this covered."

Quatre started running away, away from him and towards the water at first in desperation, but then he changed his course and started running along the shore, finally realizing he would need a boat.

"Go Fei" Duo whispered. Meeting Wu Fei's eyes as the locked his other hand around the mans shoulder. Wu Fei studied his face for a second and then either decided it was too late to fight him on this or that he was needed more at Quatre's side.

Duo watched them leave and then turned back to the man in front of him, the man he had trapped, the man who had helped to cause him so much pain. Had helped to kill and innocent man. The man he'd sworn to track down one day.

Duo started at him and his scar, the man he'd slammed a couple of times, and was ready to slam again. Ok, more than a couple of times, but the man was perfectly calm as Wu Fei and Quatre ran along the shore away from them and towards the boats. He was calm with a split lip and two swelling eyes, no, more than that. He was smug.

"Wu Fei" Duo yelled after his friends, knowing that nothing on earth or the colonies would stop Quatre right now, so he'd have to appeal to Wu Fei. "Wu Fei, he's not in the Lake" Duo yelled, keeping his eye on the scarred man.

"What do you mean he's not in the Lake, we saw him coming out of the water." Wu Fei had paused, he was listening.

"No Wu Fei, listen, it was a trick. Trowa's not in the Lake." Duo grabbed the man by the front of his shirt, fully intending to start beating on him again, but he froze as realization dawned on him. The man finally looked a little bothered as Duo slackened his grip.

"Oh Gods, you buried him." Duo whispered. He felt slightly faint, wrung out.

"What do you mean he's not in the Lake?" Quatre repeated Wu Fei's question as they approached him at a run.

"How long ago? How long ago did you bury him you bastard?" Duo cursed, rage consuming him, were they too late? He couldn't feel fear, only the anger, but the thought was there.

Now he was smiling, smiling at them. Duo drug back his fist to smash his nose cleanly into his skull, he didn't care if he broke his hand along the way, but the man spoke, freezing Duo.

"Two hours ago."

Heero stared at the footage he was being shown. He'd been too far away to see anything by body bulk when he'd taken his shots, he hadn't seen any faces. Now a Preventor agent was kneeling next to his couch showing him Quatre's security footage on a com pad.

Heero tried to keep his breathing even, but he recognized these three men. From the hospital where they'd first taken Duo. When he'd walked in that one day, finding them in the lobby. His soldier's sense had alerted him to them immediately, that they were dangerous, that he shouldn't let them stand at his back. They'd blocked him from the elevator, had stalled him just long enough.

He'd gone upstairs to find Relena kicking Duo who'd been curled up on the ground.

They were working for Relena. It was so apparent to them. But the rest of the world was blind, was blind to all her antics. They were fighting just to pin what had happened to Duo on her.

So the question was, how were they going to link these men to her and what was she up to?

It was obvious to him now that it was over. They'd come here purposely, knowing Heero had just been released from the hospital, knowing that Trowa was gone and that the others were looking for him. But what had been her objective today?

If Heero hadn't been armed would he have found himself in the back of a car right now and on his way towards Relena?

He shook his head at the Preventor agent and closed his eyes, willing the man to go away and leave him alone. If they thought he was tired they might leave him alone about identification until later, when he'd recovered more. That suited his needs just fine.

"I'll be right back Mr. Yuy, I need to talk to my supervisor about letting you rest. I apologize for not thinking of it earlier." The young agent took back the com pad and stood.

Heero nodded his thanks and waited till the man was out of his sight before he pulled out his cell phone. He couldn't call Duo right now, but maybe he could send him a message.

He typed as fast as he could with one thumb and sent the message on it's way, stating that he needed to talk to all three of them as soon as possible. But he didn't get an immediate reply.

Heero's head was fuzzy, but the last time he'd talked to them they'd been close to Peter's Peak, they could be dealing with Trowa's abductor right now.

He'd just have to wait.

He hated waiting.

"How much air would he have in a coffin?" Duo asked Wu Fei, still keeping his hold on the scarred man.

"I don't know?" Wu Fei admitted, pulling out his phone for something to do, but not knowing who to contact.

"Are we too late?" Quatre wailed, his body shaking, his eyes way too big. "What do we do? He could have buried Trowa anywhere."

"I don't know." Wu Fei said again, this time with more frustration and vehemence.

"Dogs." Duo suddenly spat. "A dog could find him."

"Where are we going to get dogs Duo?" Quatre yelled at him, "We're in the middle of no where"

"Don't they usually have search and rescue dogs at Ranger Stations in the mountains, you know, in case of an avalanche?" Duo pointed out.

Wu Fei and Quatre stared at him.

"Well? Go!"


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I think I own a few souls that aren't my own, but I don't own Gundam Wing. No Sue/ing/edge/tastic please.

I'm on Facebook now, come and find me and get inside information about the next chapter! Sorry it's taking so long between updates, I'm working on original stuff and going to school and working. Busy, Busy Raylie! And if you would be so kind, I thrive off of reviews!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 35: Resuscitation

Duo had handed the man with the scar over to someone, he wasn't sure who and he really hadn't cared at the time. His need for vengeance, to smash in that man's face, was set aside when the dog had showed up and started tugging at his leash

Barron's trainer, his partner, had given him the scent to follow, luckily Quatre had been wearing one of Trowa's shirts. When he'd admitted to it Duo had seen the pain on his face, had felt his own pain. He understood all too well, before it all, when he'd been living with Heero, he'd done it himself. When Heero wasn't home Duo had once walked around wearing Heero's shirt, loving the feel and the smell, feeling stupid at first and then wishing he didn't have to take if off later.

He saw that feeling in Quatre's face as he'd handed over the shirt, but then the dog had started to whine, to pull against his leash, to drag his partner, Mark, towards the woods, away from the lake.

Duo felt hope leap inside him before he quickly squashed it down and ran after the dog and the ranger. He could hear pounding feet behind him, knew Quatre and Wu Fei were running just as fast as he was, just as hard, desperate. But two hours? It was a vice around his heart, around his lungs, making everything blurry and already Duo could feel himself trying to detach his friend Trowa from the situation.

If they found a body it wouldn't be Trowa, it couldn't be. It was probably someone else buried up here long ago. Trowa wouldn't die like this, he couldn't. He would never, ever leave Quatre. He was too strong, too sure. He was a Gundam pilot, there was no possible way that the scarred man could have gotten him like this. No matter how good he was.

But Duo knew. Gods he knew. Deep down he knew it was too long. Just too long for Trowa to still be…

The dog was going berserk now, barking and running and straining, and then it was stopping, digging. That man, that man hadn't bothered to hide his trail at all. It had been too long, and he'd been so sure they would fall for his trick, thinking they would assume Trowa was at the bottom of the lake and spend their time searing there. That time searching plus the two hours was a death sentence, he hadn't been worried about his trail being followed at all. Probably wanted them to find the coffin after Trowa was…

Duo found himself on his knees, digging franticly before he'd finished that thought. He was digging hard, pushing dirt aside, seeing Wu Fei and Quatre next to him out of the corner of his eyes, trying to avoid the dogs paws and disregarding his fingernails entirely.

"We have shovels" A voice said from behind him and Duo stood quickly, reached back and grabbed it and started digging.

"Move" He told his friends, afraid of hitting them in his frantic state.

He knew when they got shovels too and started to help. Knew that it wasn't taking that long because he wasn't buried terribly deep, knew there were people around them, watching them. Felt the strain in his shoulders, felt the strain on his heart. Knew what the odds were, what a long shot it was. Couldn't stop, had to keep digging until-

Duo stopped, so did everyone around him, as his shovel his something that wasn't dirt.

"Hurry" Quatre wailed and Duo dug again, around this time. Around the coffin, hands helping him, pushing away excess dirt, reaching down with hammers, pulling out nails, prying up the lid.

Duo held his breath, watching. Quatre was there, helping them, his fingers bleeding from the effort. Wu Fei was helping too, shouting orders, someone was calling an ambulance.

But he could only stand there and watch, shovel in his hand, as they dug up his friend. Shouldn't he be the one in that coffin? Wasn't he the one that was suppose to be dead?

Heero was back in bed. He was in pain and fuming silently, but he couldn't let anyone know that. Couldn't let on that he'd known the attackers, could identify them.

They'd taken Duo. They'd killed him. Let him go on thinking Duo Maxwell was dead for four years, almost five. Let him wallow and give in while Duo was being subjected to something that should never have existed after the war.

They'd done their part. The suffering was supposed to be over. No more sacrifices, it was their turn to live.

He couldn't let anyone know. Because he was going to get to them first. He was going to heal, and then he was going to deal with Relena Peacecraft.

Duo stared down at Trowa's body. It was really him, there was no way it couldn't be. It wasn't a stranger. It was Trowa Barton, laying on the ground, in the forest a top Peter's Peak. Not Breathing.

"No" He could hear Quatre screaming. His friend Quatre, Trowa's lover. His partner. Could hear him fighting against Wu Fei as one of the Rangers started checking Trowa's vitals.

He was dead?

Duo couldn't stop himself as he dropped the shovel and ran to Trowa's side, kneeled next to him and shoved the Ranger aside. He watched deftly as his hands shoved down on Trowa's chest and started pumping his heart in steady beats. Counting. 1...2...3...4. He bent down and shoved air into Trowa's lungs as hard as he could, willing something to happen. Waiting for a reaction.

He started pumping again, counting. 1...2...3...4. Breathe, trying not to think about the stillness. It was an unmistakable stillness. One he'd once been able to recognize from far away. Pump and count. A stillness that was death, that meant an enemy was down and couldn't come after him again.

Breathe. Duo didn't want to see that stillness in Trowa. Didn't want him to feel so cold under his hands. Count and pump. Didn't want to know that it was over, that he'd been too late. That Trowa would still be alive if he was still in that prison.

Breathe.

Count.

Pump.

"No" Quatre's voice. Had to pump harder, had to make him breathe, had to make his heart work again.

Breathe.

Count.

Pump.

"LIVE" Duo shouted at his lifeless friend. "Please Live" He was crying? When? No, it was all wrong. He didn't cry. He wouldn't cry, ever. His hair was gone. He'd been taken away from his life. Aykan. This hospital. Relena smothering him. Wrong. Breathe, please breathe Trowa. The woman coming for him with the knife, Trowa had saved him. The man with the scar, eye to lips, across the cheek. All wrong.

"Duo" Wu Fei never called him by his first name. "Duo, I think it's time to stop."

Quatre screaming. Telling him to keep going, telling him not to stop. But his arms hurt now, he could barely see through the tears. Just a few more times, just to be sure.

"Duo, there's nothing more we can do" Wu Fei pulling on his arm.

"No, it's my fault, I'll make it right." That didn't really sound like his voice, so high, so desperate. But if Wu Fei would just let him do this, he knew he could. He'd make it up to Quatre. For taking him in. For getting him away from Aykan, for footing all his bills. For getting him out of the Cematary.

He couldn't do this, not to them. They were all he had. How could he take Trowa away from them? Away from Quatre?

"Duo, Stop It" Wu Fei jerked him away from Trowa, made him fall back, catching himself before he hit the ground. He was so mad. "Just stop it. He's gone"

"But we don't know, we don't know when he stopped breathing" Duo yelled back, trying to get up, trying to get back to pumping the heart.

"That's right, we don't know" Wu Fei had his hands on Quatre's shoulders. "We don't know how longs he's been…dead."

Quatre fell to his knees, limp at the word. His eyes wide, his pupils so small. His breathing loud and rough and wet from tears. Like he was drowning in them.

Duo found himself breathing with Quatre, gasping for air.

Trowa was dead.

Duo shoved himself away from the body, ran, pushed past the Rangers. Ran. He went away from the lake, further into the woods. He ran even as his legs burned, ran, even when his lungs wouldn't work. Pushed and ran hard, something inside him breaking and trying to get away before he shattered. Something that didn't want his friends to see him, not when he was going to be unable to stop.

He was searching, he needed a place. It was too open, too wide. Too much air, too much sky. He couldn't be here. He had to get back before Aykan found him outside.

Heero would be so mad. He'd saved one friend only to lose another. Would he be the one to order Aykan to finally kill him. Duo had let them all down.

Duo fought for breath, couldn't get enough oxygen. The colors around him were swirling when he ran into the concrete. Or was it a rock? He didn't care either way, he shoved his back against it and stated to scream.

His hair. His cross. His life. His friend. His head hurt so much.

His cross.

His hair.

Heero…

Quatre knew he was close to shredding Wu Fei's arms, could feel his fingers digging into his friends arms, but there was no way he could have kept himself out of the paramedics way. It was up to Wu Fei to do it. And deep down he was grateful, but he'd thank Wu Fei later.

Right now he was staring. As hard as he could, watching the inside of the ambulance. They had a defibrillator in there. They would leave for the nearest hospital soon. He would ride with them, but right now they were trying everything they could here.

He could see Trowa, watched as his body jerked from the electricity. His heart slamming around inside him, ready to break again.

"I've got sinus activity."

"I've got a pulse"

Quatre nearly fell to the ground again, his knees unable to support him. Wu Fei caught him and Quatre sobbed.

"We're leaving" One of the paramedics shouted.

"I'm his partner" Quatre's voice cracked, but he stumbled forward and one of the men helped him up into the ambulance.

"I'll follow you" Wu Fei shouted. He knew Quatre had heard him but he also hadn't really been expecting an answer.

Now he turned around and started thanking the rangers that had helped them. They smiled at him, relieved. Talking about report already and either petting the dog that had helped or congratulating it's owner on training him well.

Wu Fei turned away from them and stared off in the direction Duo had run. He couldn't hear anything, couldn't see anything. How far had he run?

"Do you want us to help you find your friend? He seemed pretty upset" One of the Rangers asked.

"That's alright. I'll find him. Thank you for your help, here's the number to my office, if you need anything just ask Hilary, she'll get you anything you need" Wu Fei gave them a card with his extension at Preventors and waved them off.

He wasn't sure if he needed the help or not, but that look in Duo's eyes. He knew that look. And he knew that whether he needed the help or not, what he didn't need was someone Duo didn't know approaching him right now.

Right now his priorities were simple.

Find Duo without getting himself killed or letting Heero find out.

Getting to the hospital once he had Duo.

But Maxwell had never been a dependant element in Wu Fei's plans. And he had a suspicion that things were going to be much worse than he expected. That look on Duo's face right before he'd bolted, it was haunting.

This whole situation might have just undone all the therapy Duo had undergone to get to this point. Might have made it worse than it had been when they first got him back from that prison.

Wu Fei started walking, following Duo's trail. His running had left impressions in the ground, easy enough to follow.

_Let him be alright. Let this all work out. _Wu Fei wasn't one for praying, he was more sure on situations where he could control the outcome. But he had also been ready to pronounce Trowa.

Now he was absolutely fed up with losing his friends. They were all he really had if he was truthful with himself. They weren't going to lose Duo again, he'd make sure of it.


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and "I own" do not fit in the same sentence. I don't own any rights. This is just a fanfic.

Wow. Ok, so moved from apartment to house. BIG move. And yet, I still have all this stuff that clutters up everything! But I dug out my lap top. Points for me. Oh, new poll up that might affect updates. And I'm on Facebook, for anyone who cares.

** edit! sorry it was bold and underlined! that was TOTALLY not on purpose!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 36: Amnesia

Wu Fei followed the trail of deep shoe prints through the woods, there was evidence that Duo's stride was slowing, weakening. He must be close. Wu Fei started looking around for a place Duo might have stopped at to rest.

He saw color and turned towards it. In front of him the foot falls veered as if Duo had started to fall. Fall into… that rock?

It was a bolder really, it rose another two feet above his own head. It was creviced and had a hang over where animals had obviously curled up under it. Right now, there was a man curled up there, holding tightly to his knees, breathing heavily, sobbing. There was evidence a little bit off that Duo had been sick as well.

Wu Fei caught his breath and walked slowly up to where Duo was…hiding.

"Duo?" He asked quietly, surprised when Duo jerked and balled up tighter.

"Go Away. I'm not going back." Duo told him, but he was speaking into his knee caps so it was muffled.

"It's alright Duo. Come back, Trowa is…" Duo started screaming, cutting him off.

Wu Fei stumbled back, alarmed by his friends reaction.

"No, Duo, please. It's really alright, Trowa is…" The name seemed to trigger Duo's mental stability, because this time he lashed out, coming out of his ball just enough to take a swing at Wu Fei with bloody nails.

"Go Away, I'm not going back." Duo told him again.

"Duo, if you would just listen, let me tell you about… about what happened." Wu Fei caught himself this time.

"No, I know what happened. I don't care. He deserved it." Duo told him, his eyes flashing.

Wu Fei recoiled in shock. "How can you say that?" Even now he could see where tears had been streaming down Duo's face. Could see his hands were just as torn up as his from digging franticly.

"Hey, he started it. I just finished it." Duo snapped back.

Wu Fei had a stream of thoughts run through his head then. A conspiracy linking Duo to the people who had faked his death, to Aykan, and back to Relena Peacecraft. But once it hit that vial woman, everything snapped out of place. Duo had always disliked that girl. It didn't make sense. But something else did.

"What did he do?" Wu Fei asked, taking a leap in logic and going with it.

"He took a swing at me first, shoved my face into my lunch. If you're going to get all bent out of shape about a fork in someone's lung, then take away the forks. Just give us spoons." Duo sneered at him, watching his every move from over his bent legs.

"Spoons?" Wu Fei asked.

Duo laughed a little then and muttered, "It'd take a bit more force, but I could make a spoon work."

"Maxwell" Wu Fei snapped and he saw Duo jerk, and his eyes do a funny thing. Like the pupils dilated and then snapped back into focus.

"Wu Fei?" He stared at Wu Fei, as if he was shocked to see him. As if Wu Fei had just appeared out of no where. Maybe he had. But if that were the case, who had Duo thought he was talking to before.

"Duo, let me help you up." Wu Fei tried for a more simple approach this time. "I have to drive us… back."

"Back where?" If only Duo didn't always have to ask so many questions.

"Back to Heero" That should satisfy him.

"Oh, ok." Duo started to reach out and push himself up. Wu Fei reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"No" Duo suddenly yelled at him. "I'm not going back to that stinking cell"

Wu Fei let go of Duo's wrist and backed up.

"Maxwell, it's me." Wu Fei tried again, verbally trying to keep him tethered to the here and now.

"Uh, yeah. I know. So?" Duo asked, stumbling a little as he got his legs under him. "We're going back to see Heero, right?"

"Yes." Wu Fei felt as if he were holding a fraying rope. This was a dangerous man he was with. And a very unstable one. Any wrong thing he said might get him killed. Seriously wounded at the very least.

"The car is this way" Wu Fei started to walk in the direction he'd come from. Duo followed, his arms wrapped around himself. His eyes darting around, aware of everything. Searching for danger. He was almost cowering in on himself.

"Is it far?" Duo asked.

"Well, you are a good runner, and you were pretty determined." Wu Fei answered and then regretted his words.

"Runner…?" Duo paused and Wu Fei turned in time to see panic stat to roll through Duo again.

"No, you stay put." Wu Fei yelled at him, and without thinking, reached out and slapped Duo hard across the face.

Duo stood there for a second, stunned. And then his face started to turn red with anger and blood rushed to his cheek.

"You Honor-Bound-Justice-Twit!" Duo yelled at Wu Fei, spitting out the first words that popped into his head.

Wu Fei almost laughed, but he kept his face schooled. This was going to be like walking through a mine field if he didn't think of something quick.

"You ever do that again and I'm going to skin your right arm and then brand you with my initials, so everyone will know you're my bitch." Duo yelled at him.

Wu Fei could only stare at him for a moment. The colorful threat was something Duo would have yelled at him right at the end of the war. Just a couple of months before it had ended. Duo's mental timeline was jumping around, frantic to land on anything that wasn't what had just happened today.

But it gave him an idea, back then the only one who had ever been able to put a lid on Duo's anger, or even bother to be around him for more than a couple of days had been…

"Who're ya callin?" Duo asked as Wu Fei whipped out his cell phone. He had just one bar next to the tiny antenna. It would have to be enough.

Wu Fei hit his speed dial and waited while the line rang. On the beginning of the third ring the line picked up.

"Wu Fei? Is everything ok?" Heero demanded, his voice strained, but strong.

"Here, talk to him, I have to get him back to the car and everything I say keeps triggering another episode." Wu Fei snapped at his friend, his patience wearing thin. He shoved the phone at Duo, who stared at it and then put it to his ear.

"Hello?" Duo asked. And then, "Heero" His voice was calmer and happier. Wu Fei took a few steps, found Duo following him while listening to the phone and talking to Heero, and then started to lead them back to his car.

Heero had no idea what was going on, but just hearing the things Duo was saying was enough to worry him. It was enough to keep him talking, hoping Wu Fei was leading them… well, to the car he guessed. But he couldn't ask where they were now. He'd wait and ask those questions later.

"So I punched the guy and ran. I hope I knocked out several teeth, I didn't really stick around to check since I only had eight minutes and twenty-six seconds on the timer. But Heero, I must have set it wrong." Duo was telling him.

"Why's that?" Heero asked back, trying to make his voice emotionless. "You don't make those types of mistakes."

"Because I didn't hear an explosion." Duo sighed. "Either that or I ran a lot further than I thought."

"My sources say the target is destroyed. Are you evacuating?" Heero was pretty sure he remembered this mission Duo was reliving.

"Of course, Wu Fei came and picked me up. I think he's mad though cuz I was a little bit off on the pick up point. He had to come lookin for me in the woods." Duo chuckled a little.

Oh yes, Heero remembered this mission. "Yes, he raidoed in that he couldn't find you and that he was going to look for you. Explain." Heero couldn't repeat everything verbatim, but he was pretty sure he was close.

"Oh, I just started running, I must'a veered a little when I tripped." Duo sighed.

"Tripped?" Heero barked. He hated having to go back to the ass he'd been, but keeping Duo calm was key. And he could distinctly remember how frustrated he'd been that Duo was so calm when he'd been so worried about him not coming back from the mission.

"Yeah, injured my knee. Nothin big." Duo replied.

Heero swallowed hard. It had been big. Duo had scrapped his knee down to the bone that time. Heero had helped him out of the car Wu Fei had picked him up in. All that blood.

"Heero?" Duo's voice wavered.

"Duo? What is it?" Heero asked, unable to keep the emotion out of his voice this time.

"We're at Wu Fei's car. Heero, it's blue." During that mission Wu Fei had driven a white car. "Am I…. was I, just now…"

"It's alright." Heero interrupted him. "Can you put Wu Fei back on for a second?"

"Ok" Heero heard the sound of the phone being transferred.

"Yuy?" Wu Fei asked, he must have been listening on the other side.

"What's going on? Are you coming back?" Heero asked.

"Yes, I have somewhere I need to be, but I don't think it's a good place to take Du- Maxwell. So I'll drop him off first." And he would explain then. Heero nodded, realized Wu Fei couldn't see him nod and grunted.

"Do you still need me?"

"I think it best." Meaning Duo was so upset he couldn't be kept calm on the car ride back.

"Put him back on." Heero said.

Again, the phone transferred hands.

"Heero?" Duo, sounding so lost. It felt like a knife in his throat.

"I'm here." Heero told him. He spent the time it took Wu Fei to drive back to the house talking to Heero. Sometimes Duo drifted away and they talked about the war as if it were still going on. Sometimes Duo asked him about something that was almost current. But the past three days seemed to be gone.

It worried Heero, what had happened while they'd been up on Peter's Peak? No one had mentioned Trowa yet.


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is awesome and belongs to… uh… someone out there. But it's not me. So yeah, the end.

Thanks to the ppl who pointed out the underlining and boldening on my last chapter. As you probably guessed I had no idea that had happened! Ok, next chapter time! Remember to take the poll so I know what to do.

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 37: Escape

Cord finished picking the lock on his hand cuffs and dropped them to the ground behind the grocery store. He rubbed the skin and rolled his shoulders. His face was straining against the swelling from the beating Duo Maxwell had given him. But that didn't really matter. It'd go down soon enough. Sooner if he could get back to Conner and get an ice pack.

The hard part had been getting out of the unmarked car. That had been a real strain on his talents. He'd have to ask Connor for a bonus. He needed one too, he was pretty sure groceries were low, his account could use with a little bulk up for bills and tuition.

Cord longed for his cell phone, but they'd taken it from him. His money too. Good thing he didn't carry around anything too important. And the phone wouldn't give them anything. Especially after Justin fried it.

Cord made his way along the back roads, behind the stores, until he ducked into one and lifted a black hooded sweater off a stack and put it on. Then it was a simple matter of picking pockets of spare change, enough to get him a one way bus trip.

On the way he sat in his seat with his head down and the hood pulled up and covering his face. His nose did start to bleed again on the way, but putting his sleeve against his face hid that and the blood didn't show up noticeably on the dark fabric.

He got off close as he dared to the Peacecraft Witches place. Startling one old woman on his way off the bus. But she wouldn't remember him, he was pretty sure.

Cord made his way past security, giving one hidden camera a wave, knowing that only Justin would be watching that one. He was defiantly going to get more money for this. He'd put it in his account and Michael could buy groceries and he'd get home as soon as possible. Hopefully to an apartment that wasn't burned down.

Cord let himself in and followed the sound of howling to the back few rooms they were using at her highnesses charitable tolerance. He walked into the room and found Justin desperately trying to hold David down while Connor dug around in his side just below his right arm.

"Get it out Conner, for gods sake get it out." David was yelling, thrashing against Justin, knocking the kid a few good times. Cord walked up quietly and gave David's left arm one good twist. It made him yell louder but he also stilled a great deal.

"Thank you Cord." Conner said as he used the metal tongs to wrest the bullet from David at last.

Cord let go and stepped back out of David's reach.

"You skinny, scarred, silent bastard." David cursed him.

"All facts." Cord pointed out as he paused to pull the hooded sweater off.

"Fine, you're a rat balled, ugly sucker too." David corrected himself and smacked Justin as the boy tried to dress his wounds. "Don't poke it boy, just slap that on."

Justin gave him a dirty look and then literally slapped the gauze over the open wound. David cursed and smacked him again.

"Stop hittin me!" Justin threw the tape at him. "It's not my fault you got shot."

Conner sighed and walked up to get a good look at Cord now that his hands were clean. "You injured?"

"Naw, just not pretty for a while." Cord assured him, meaning every wound on him was superficial and would heal quickly. No broken bones, no open lacerations. "How'd the idiot get shot?"

"Heero Yuy was not too injured to fight." Conner told him matter o' factly.

"Ah, and I take it Duo Maxwell was not there." Cord sat down and pulled of his shirt, stretched out at the neck and very bloody now.

"Couldn't tell, we had to leave pretty quickly." Conner handed him an ice pack and Cord put it across his eyes as best as he could. His vision had been cloudy for the last two hours.

"Well he wasn't there." Cord told him.

"He did this to you?" Conner asked, picking up on his thread. Cord nodded.

"It seems as if there is a great deal more to these young men than even these old war reports can give us." Conner shook his head and raked his hand through his short hair. "We have to stop treating them as civilians and Preventor Agents. They are more than war veterans."

"That's what I've been telling you." A high pitched voice snapped and all the men turned to stare at Relena Peacecraft standing in the doorway. "I take it you've failed again."

"You-" David started to stand but Justin took his turn and smacked him across his fresh wound and the man sat abruptly back down.

"Please leave Miss Peacecraft, I would rather you have plausible deniability later. You don't need to hear this." Conner turned away from her, unable to look at her without out wanting to do some seriously permanent damage.

"So now you're telling me this is going to court? I was told that you were professionals, that there was no way you wouldn't achieve any goal I put before you." Relena fumed, her face turning a red that made the pink dress she was wearing look ridiculous.

"Miss, I have prepared some tea for you. Please come away from there. This are matters best left to your servants." Celeste suddenly appeared at her shoulder. "Please do not sully yourself by conversing with such brutes."

Cord gave the woman a wink as she turned he blonde monster away from them. He could hear the manipulation in her voice. Taste it in the air. It was delicious.

"Thank God for her." Justin sighed as he pulled out a com pad and proceeded to fry the circuits in Cord's lost phone.

"I wouldn't mind making her thank him a few times myself." Cord muttered. Conner gave him a look and he smiled but shut up.

"As I was saying, it's time to start treating these pilots as we would a fellow band of mercs." Conner picked his thoughts back up and shredded what files they did have on the men they were after. "Justin, see what you can find that's off all records. See if you can find any old OZ files. Those would be best."

Justin nodded and rolled his chair over to his bank of screens and modems.

"Cord, I need you to-"

"I need payment." Cord interrupted him.

"Justin, take care of that too." Conner made a note on a piece of paper and slid it to the kid across the table.

"No way, not happening, how come he gets an advance?" David demanded. "I was shot"

"He has dependants." Conner said. "Now, Cord, I need you to infiltrate the hospital. They'll be taking Barton to the morgue there. We need to be close. But be careful, they know your face."

"They won't recognize me boss, I'll be sure." Cord smiled, putting the ice pack back up on his face.

"Dependants?" David demanded. "What do you mean dependants? None of us have dependants. The point of not having dependants is that we're free to do this. Having dependants is stupid."

"You've said dependants five times now. Do you need a CAT scan?" Conner asked him raising one eyebrow.

"No I don't need a CAT scan, but he can't have… anyone." David pointed at Cord.

"Don't point that at me." Cord snapped at him.

David opened his mouth to reply, but Conner cut him off. "I need explosives."

That shut him up, he looked up at Conner and narrowed his eyes. "What kind and how many?"

"As many as you can, anything that can go off before someone has a chance to really look at it, but enough time for us to get out of the way." Conner barked. "And make sure you have a few to stun."

David nodded and started to stand when Conner stopped him. "Really stun. I'm talking they're down and they stay down. Even if we have to hospitalize them later. Just nothing that kills."

David paused and then nodded, slower. Understanding. That bastard who shot him was going to get his.

"Alright men, lets move fast now. They're one man down and this is our chance to hit them hard and finish the job. You want out of here, you do this right." Conner barked at them.

"I need a few days" Cord hated to bring it up, but his skin grafts just wouldn't fit over or hide the swelling.

Conner sighed. "Fine, that'll just mean that we won't have any margin for mistakes this time. We have a period to prepare. Nothing sloppy, we're not missing this window."

Conner watched them for a minute, Justin typing away furiously and Cord sitting down next to David to help him lift things. Then he left the room and closed the door behind him. He dialed a number from memory and waited.

The line picked up, silently. No one answered.

"Kitty, it's Conner." Conner sighed hard.

"Oh, hi babe. You still sportin your 5 o' clock?" Kitty's voice was light and full of laughter. She was someone you wanted on your side, that friendly exterior could turn deadly quicker than anyone he'd ever seen.

"Yes, I told you, it doesn't matter how often I shave, it always comes back. I just leave it alone now." Conner smirked a little.

"Sexy. So what do you need?" Kitty asked, "Celeste doing alright for you?"

"Yes, yes. She's fine, I need something else."

"Name it, we just got a shipment in, I can have it to you by tomorrow if needed. Of course it'll cost ya." Kitty's smile was vivid in his mind. He'd met her in person once. Of course he'd found out it'd been her later. But he had a good memory.

"I need information." Conner admitted.

"Oh? I thought you had little Justin for that." Conner had never mentioned any of his men by name over any open or secure line, that just showed how good her sources were.

"I do, and he's good. But I think this is beyond even him. Kid's a genius, but I need someone with experience." Conner looked back over his shoulder, door still closed.

"Alright, but info's a pretty penny Conner." Kitty reminded him.

"I know, I'm willing to pay. I need information on Gundam Pilots." Conner agreed quickly and waited for a price.

It never came, Kitty's friendly voice vanished. "No. We're going to forget you said that. What else can I get you?"

"What? I don't under-" Conner started to protest. Kitty had never protested before, she dealt with the worst, send weapons to people who did bad things with them. She had no conscious. There had to be a reason.

"I don't touch them. And you shouldn't either. For once Conner, drop a contract. You won't walk away from this one." Kitty warned him, her voice snapping out like cold metal. "Trust me."

"I don't drop contracts." Conner snapped back.

"Then you're dead." Kitty told him deadpan. No mercy in her voice.

"You're serious."

"I'll give you one warning Conner, we're still good, but don't call me again till this is over. You're lucky I don't pull Celeste. I'll let her stay, but she's on escape orders, she's out if anything turns ugly." He expected her to hang up then, but the line stayed live. "Here's your warning,"

He'd thought that was his warning, but he listened raptly.

"I fought in that war. I was OZ. I had one encounter with Gundam Pilots, that was enough." Kitty's voice was so hollow, Conner could feel a chill. Freezing his spine and lower things. "You tell Justin to stay away from death gods."

And the line went dead.

Conner stared at the phone in his hand. Death gods? Nothing made sense, but Kitty was the best in the business and he would almost say she was scared.

And for the first time, Conner thought about what it would mean to drop a contract. Considered his pride and business weighed against the lives of four men.

Was it worth the risk?


	38. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: If I owned Gundam Wing I'm sure my gas wouldn't keep getting shut off. Because I'd have money.

ARGH! Ok, so obviously I haven't written anything in a while. My personal life got a bit hectic there for a while and The Muse left me. Cold and barren she did! But now I'm back! And hopefully I can pick this back up, cuz I just read some back chapters and I've really put Duo into a pickle, haven't I?

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 38: Warped

Duo clung to the phone in his hand. The world around him was a giant ball of confusion. Heero's voice was his rock, the only place that was still and calm. Proof that Heero was waiting for him.

Wu Fei was driving, sitting right there next to him. But Duo was sure that he'd been sitting next to someone just a minute ago. Someone else who wanted him dead. Who would crash the car at any second. Had Wu Fei killed them? Where were their Gundams stored?

He was also concerned that it was too bright. They shouldn't be running around in broad daylight. Not when their faces were all over the news, someone could spot them and turn them into OZ. Hadn't the sun just set? Had they been traveling all night already?

"Duo? You still there?" Heero's voice broke his train of thought again.

"Yes." Duo confirmed. He'd have a report to send off once they got to the safe house. "Do we have some down time? Or has another mission come in already?"

Heero's voice faltered. Then it came back, as stern as ever. Emotionless and a bit stuck up. "No, we have some down time for you to recover."

"Oh good, because my legs are killing me." Duo admitted. Couldn't let Heero know just how hurt he was. The guy got real testy when he thought there was any chance you could be a liability to his mission.

His legs, both of them hurt, but hadn't he just hurt the one? Duo looked down at his legs in panic and found them both fine, just sore.

"Heero?" Duo watched a mother pulling her little girl down the street towards a toy store. No boarded up windows, no hesitant shoppers. No soldiers marching about.

"I'm here." Heero's voice. Strong, dependable, caring.

"Almost there." Wu Fei said next to him. They were leaving the businesses behind now. Residential lawns taking up the sides of the street. Duo held onto the phone in his hand. Heero was there with him, holding him steady. His rock.

Heero had heard Wu Fei's voice over the line. He was still muttering reassurances to Duo as he forced himself to get up and head for the front door. The pain running through his spine made every move near agony, but he walked to the door and opened it. Waiting. He watched Wu Fei's car pull up the long drive and heard the moment when Duo saw him.

Heero hung up and tucked the phone in his pocket as Wu Fei pulled up and stopped the car. Duo was already half way out the door and rushing for Heero.

"What happened?" He demanded. "Why are you out of bed? You promised me you'd rest and get well."

Heero felt a small surge of relief. Duo was finally speaking as if he remembered when he'd left Heero just today. The first sign that he did have a stable reference that was current somewhere in his mind.

"I'm sorry, but things got a little hectic here while you were gone." Heero sighed as Duo took some of his weight and started guiding him back inside. He also noticed how dirty Duo was, and the tear tracks on his face worried him greatly.

Just inside some servants were waiting, and Heero had no doubt that had he started to fall while waiting for Duo, someone would have been there to help him. Wu Fei's voice was behind him, talking to someone and Heero could hear a clipped version of what had happened being explained to his friend.

Heero let Duo guide him to a couch inside and sat down gratefully, taking in deep breaths of air, trying to ignore his need to lay down and get some rest.

"Is everything ok? What happened? Where's Trowa?" Heero knew his words were the wrong ones as soon as they left his mouth. Duo kind of got a glazed over look in his eyes and his breathing slowed way down. The room felt cooler, as if the danger that seeped from Duo was tangible in the room.

"Maxwell, go get Yuy a glass of water. He should not have been on his feet, he needs to rest." Wu Fei barked out and turned to Heero. "I don't care how much you hate pain killers, you're taking these." Wu Fei was holding a small pill bottle and shook it to add emphasis to his words.

"He's right Heero, you'll never heal if you don't do as the doctors ordered." Duo siad, his voice slightly muted, and his eyes still unsure. But it was enough to pull him back from whatever edge he'd been headed towards and got him out of the room for a quick second.

Wu Fei spoke quickly as soon a Duo was gone. "Trowa is alive. I'm not sure on his condition, Quatre went with him to the hospital. But when we dug him up from the coffin he'd been buried in, he wasn't breathing or responding to CPR." The news hit Heero like a sledge hammer. Trowa had… died? "I have to go to the hospital and check on Quatre, I'm sorry, but I need to leave Duo here with you. The event appears to have made him unstable, and you are the only one who had been able to keep him calm for any amount of time. I'll be back to help as soon as I can, but his mind is jumping around a time line I can't follow. And you seem to be the only constant thing in his life that grounds him."

"I understand" Heero nodded gravely. He had been mostly following the leaps that Duo's mind made, he just hoped that his injuries wouldn't blind side him and leave Duo floundering with those around him who had no idea just how dangerous he was.

Wu Fei nodded and left. It was the only clue he gave about how worried he was about Trowa and Quatre. And how much he trusted Heero to get the situation under control.

"Here's your water." Duo came back and Heero wasn't entirely sure that Duo hadn't stayed in the kitchen so long on purpose. It was as if a part of him was very aware of what was going on around him. And that Heero was doing all he could to help him. But the rest of his mind didn't seem to grasp what was wrong. Only that something had happened. "Are you going to take your pills?" Duo asked him, watching Heero closely.

Heero paused. If he took the pills he would more than likely pass out. But if he didn't he might just pass out anyway from the pain and the strain it was putting on his body. But with Duo watching him, could he afford to make this a confrontation?

"Heero, please take them." Duo whispered to him. It was all the push he needed. Heero nodded grimly.

"Can you help me up the stairs?" Heero asked, something he'd never done during the war and it seemed to help Duo. His gaze was steadier and he even gave Heero a bit of a smile. He helped Heero off the couch, slow and carefully, watching closely where he grabbed Heero and then supporting him as they made their way to the stairs.

"I killed Trowa." Duo suddenly sprang on him halfway up the stairs. Had Duo not been supporting most of his weight, Heero was sure he would have misstep at that point and gone down, hard.

"I don't think you did." Heero said back, quietly, testing the waters.

"Maybe I wasn't the one who buried him alive, but I'm pretty sure he'd be alive right now if it wasn't for me." Duo said back, taking them up the stairs again, always moving towards Heero's room.

"Duo, you are not solely responsible for every life around you." Heero tried to remind him. He could actually remember having this conversation with Duo during the war. But this wasn't that conversation, of that he was sure. This was simply a new visitation on an old idea that had wormed it's way into Duo's conscious.

"These men were after me. They want me dead, and now they're attacking me through you four." It disturbed Heero ever so slightly how calm Duo was during this conversation. They reached the top of the stairs and Duo steered them towards the closed door that lead to Heero's room.

"Trowa and the others know what it means to have you back. They are each responsible for themselves and know the risks we face. It was not your fault." Heero tried to assure him.

"Trowa and Quatre just want a quiet life. I know you and Wu Fei are still fighting bad guys, and that means you're ready for the risks. But what about those two? I know they'd put their lives on the line for me, but they deserve the quiet life they've always wanted. I shouldn't have let them get involved. Now Quatre's all alone." Duo pushed open the door and helped Heero over to the bed. "I should have stayed dead."

"No" Heero barked out, his voice louder than he meant it to be. "No, Duo, don't ever say that." Heero couldn't help the emotion that made it's way into his voice. "No, I just got you back. Do you know what my life was like without you? I was dead myself Duo, I couldn't see a reason to keep getting up day after day when you weren't there to spend them with me."

A tear leaked out of Duo's eye again, following the track already laid down on his face. "I'm sorry. But Trowa… I couldn't…"

"Come here." Heero was sitting on the bed, he held out his arms to Duo. But Duo hesitated.

"Take your pills." He ordered, but quietly. Almost a question. As if he wasn't sure Heero actually needed to take pills.

"Will you stay with me?" Heero asked, wondering if he could afford to sleep right now. But Duo nodded, even walked around the bed and crawled in as Heero swallowed his pills and lay down.

Both of the reached out at the same time and Heero gathered Duo into his arms despite the pain. He felt the desperate clutch of Duo's hands, but Duo was still avoiding really clinging to him, very aware of Heero's wounds. Heero spoke gently into Duo's hair, wishing he could really hold him, wishing he could wipe away all the worry and confusion from Duo's mind.

"Duo, Trowa isn't dead." Heero told him. Not letting his voice waver or his arms relax.

"But I couldn't make him breathe again." Duo's voice was desperate to believe him, but also breaking apart as the memories no doubt assaulted him.

"Wu Fei told me. Trowa is alive. They took him to a hospital." Heero told him. Whispering again and again the news that Duo's mind was having a hard time grasping without proof. "He's alive Duo, Wu Fei would not lie to me. He went to the hospital to be with Quatre and Trowa."

"I couldn't make him breathe again" Duo wailed. But this time Heero knew Duo was letting his failure go. The only way he could. By admitting it to Heero. By telling him that he hadn't been the one to make it better for Quatre, to bring back the man he was so sure he'd almost stolen away from his friend.

"It's ok. Duo, you're not an EMT, you're not trained to heal." Heero stroked his back, his hair. Any part of him he could touch, Heero caressed Duo.

"He was just lying there, he wouldn't open his eyes. He wasn't breathing. It was all my fault. I should have been in that coffin. That was my coffin. My death." Duo sobbed now, falling apart on the small bed in Quatre's home. Holding tightly to Heero.

"You're staying here with me Duo." Heero told him quietly, feeling sleep pulling at the edges of his mind now. "You're staying with me, safe. Alive. I need you here. I can't lose you again. I won't survive it a second time Duo."

Duo's tears slowly ebbed and his breathing was finally evening out.

"He's alive? Really?" Duo's voice almost didn't reach him as Heero floated away.

"Yes. Trowa is alive Duo." Heero whispered back before he lost consciousness.

"They're not taking anyone else." Duo told Heero, not knowing that the man couldn't hear him anymore. "I swear it. I'll stop them. I'll make sure they never hurt anyone else again. I'll kill them."

O O O

"Watch out for Deathgods? What kind of messed up warning is that?" Justin demanded of Conner. "That is in no way helpful."

"It's good advice and you'd be wise to mind it." Conner scolded him. He didn't really understand it, and so he wasn't actually sure it was good advice. But he trusted Kitty's experience. He knew she wouldn't just say words to him that meant nothing. If she said to avoid Deathgods, then that was what they were going to do.

"Yeah ok, sure. Your secret source says no Deathgods, so I'll just keep a sharp eye out on cyberspace for anyone trying to prematurely take my soul." Justin said in a tone that told Conner he wasn't going to take the message seriously.

Conner just sighed and walked away. He'd given him the advice, any thing that happened to Justin now was only going to be the kids fault.

"I'm most assuredly surrounded by the criminally insane." Justin went back to hacking. He was almost there, he knew there was a juicy tidbit just beyond this firewall. If he could just access this file. Apparently the pilots were often referred to by assigned numbers or codenames. It was all here, just beyond a few complicated locks.


	39. Chapter 39

Disclaimer: There's a small plushie of Duo hanging from my rearview mirror, but I don't own Gundam Wing, so don't sue me!

Ok, next chapter! Keep moving forward. And school's over now too! Can't wait for Anime EXPO! YAYE!

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 39. Hacked

Duo woke up and rolled out of bed. His calves and thighs ached something awful. He had to work these kinks out now. Before his next mission. Otherwise he'd be dead in the water the moment he had to run somewhere.

And the best way to do that was to get up and walk around. So that's what he did. Duo left the room he was sharing with Heero and rubbed his eyes as he started down a flight of stairs. He was still very tired, his eyelids wanting to close and his limbs heavy, urging him to lay down. But his legs felt stiff and unused, and had the creepy sensation of ants crawling all over them. So he climbed down the stairs and ambled around the living room he found.

He must have been really out of it when Wu Fei had dropped him off, because he was having a hard time remembering this safe house. It was bigger than the last one they'd stayed in. Which meant that Quatre had probably picked this one out. And fronted any money needed to secure their safety. He'd have to remember to thank the boy the next time their paths crossed.

Duo felt a little hungry, he checked doors and found the kitchen and stole in to grab something small to nibble on. His legs were starting to ease up on the ache. It was nice, and his back didn't hurt too much either. Usually after a big battle his back felt tore up and knotted, but this down time was really doing him some good.

Duo walked back through the living room and checked some the rooms under the stairs and down a short hallway. It was there he found a small office. An office with a computer.

Duo smiled and gave his legs one last good stretch before sitting down and booting up. It had been a while since he'd checked some of his spare accounts. And one should always keep a keen eye on his investments.

Duo quickly bypassed the standard security on the computer and found a 3d pad with a touch pen. Just the tools he needed. Duo logged in and the world was at his fingertips. He glided through like a dance across a stage. Like a fish in water. It was all as easy as breathing.

Duo found his portfolios still locked away. But he was surprised at the amount in each. He must be doing something right, because the amounts in each were considerably increased from his last visit.

Duo smiled to himself and closed them down. Maybe he should open one more, if they were doing this good, and then he could…

A window popped up and a picture of an opened and broken lock flashed red at him, warning him that someone was hacking Gundam Files. He'd made sure that anyone getting close to any important information would trip his alarm. What he really would have liked to do was destroy all that information permanently. But once something was up and posted it was impossible to take down. Even if you did succeed at least ninety percent, someone else always ended up reposting it. Thinking their firewalls were impenetrable, thinking their little corner was safe.

Duo quickly shut down everything else he was working on and cracked his knuckled. An almost manic grin overtook his face as he laid his fingers on the 3d pad and took a calming breath.

"You just made a big mistake buddy." He whispered to the darkness and then he was flying.

OOO

Justin was there, it was all laid out before him. Anything and everything he wanted to know. Records, voice recordings and first hand accounts, video feed, censored news bulletins, and most useful, OZ files.

Justin gave himself a mental pat on the back and reached behind him for a spare jump drive. He'd just save it all on an outside source, one he could detach and keep safe until he was on a secure machine.

He turned back and popped it into the port and looked up to find a new window open on his screen with words flashing at him. Red words, on a black background, in some gothic type.

"Shinigamii Sees You"

Justin stared at it a second. Was 'Shinigamii' a handle? He scoffed at the self appointed title. Some people were just out there. It was probably a word from another language.

Justin just shook his head, he'd look it up later. Well, probably not, he didn't care that much. But for right now he was about to put the hurt on someone trying to hack him. As if. The nerve of some kids out there.

Justin rolled his neck and put his hands on his keyboard. Let them try and hack his barcode virus. Then they'd know just who they were messing with.

OOO

"Barcode?" Duo asked his screen as lines and numbers started scrawling across his screen. What a stupid SN. Duo felt his grin widen. A virus, this Barcode guy was about to bite off more than he could chew. Duo's fingers moved without a second thought, he never took his eyes off the screen. It was a little excitement in his downtime. Just what the doctor ordered.

Duo easily ducked around the virus, letting it think it had gotten he better of him. But the source code was easy enough to find. It was just a little twisted, something that would be devastating to anyone who relied too much on implied logic. But Duo had never taken anything for granted. He made his own rules.

And Barcode was about to meet Death.

OOO

Justin watched the virus eating away the upstart who had thought they could hack him. He laughed quietly in the dark room. Wait until Conner woke up and found this big fat file folder waiting for him. He'd know then. He'd really know, and respect Justin. Wouldn't just treat him like a kid. None of them would.

They'd have to sit up and acknowledge his skills. There was no one, No One at all who could Hack him.

Justin was downloading now, the bar moving steadily across his screen, showing him the progress. Just a few more seconds and…

The screen paused, flashed, wobbled ever so slightly. And then the bar was moving backwards. His mouse was moving on its own and opening a word file. Justin reached up and tried to move it back, to move it the other way. But then words were typing themselves, for him to read.

"Nice virus, probably would have worked on anyone else. But you know, it would be better, and faster, if you just gave it a bit more power."

"More power?" Justin muttered under his breath. "What? Give me back my computer you freak."

The word document disappeared and then little ghosts, like the kind on an old video game, were floating across the screen. And a high pitched, distorted laugh was coming from his speakers.

Justin started to type, started to hack back into his own system, but nothing was happening. His keyboard might as well have not been attached at all.

Then the ghosts all turned at once and stared at him. Little grins filled with sharp teeth smiled at him. And they turned en mass back on the data and started eating. Little mouths working up and down, alarmingly fast.

"No, stop it" Justin typed faster, knowing his was missing key strokes, trying to start over again and again. But it was having absolutely zero effect.

Away went his newly found info. Gone was his current virus. And up popped everything he stored on this hard drive. Justin felt blood leaving his head as the ghosts started perusing his data.

"Go away." He ordered them. "Leave that alone." He turned around, found a disk and inserted it into the drive as quickly as he could. He'd just flush the whole system. He'd rather start over then let his hard work fall into the hands of this joker.

The disk took immediate effect. An electric eel appeared on his screen and let out a screech. It started chasing the ghosts around the screen, chomping down on them when it caught up.

Justin felt his heart beat returning to normal. "Thank God" He sighed.

"You're welcome." A voice suddenly said and Justin's eyes flew open from where he'd closed them in relief. One of the ghosts on his screen and paused and looked at him.

"What?" Justin said out loud on pure reaction.

"You thanked me." The ghost said, as if it could hear him. "You're welcome."

"I didn't thank you, I thanked…" Justin felt his stomach clamp up as his brain started to make small leaps in logic.

He watched, helplessly, as his eel came up and zapped the ghost. But the ghost just turned to it and started to grow. As it grew it's little white sheet turned black and became a dark hood. Two burning red eyes stared out of that darkness and leathery wings expanded. They scythe appearing was what finally had Justin in full panic mode. His eel screeched at the black figure swallowed it down. Then it turned and looked at him. Justin pushed his chair back and felt a cold sweat making him shiver in the air-conditioned room.

"Not too bright, are you?" The thing asked him, it's voice no longer high and comical. But raspy and deep. Menacing.

"Cut it out. Get out of my system Asshole" Justin demanded. Knowing now that the hacker could hear him through his own set up.

"Gundanium makes stronger walls than fire. Stay away from the pilots kid." The reaper told him.

"And if I don't?" Justin asked, defiantly.

A laugh. Something cruel and almost crazed. "Then be prepared to buy a whole new system, because after I'm done with you all you'll have left is scrap metal."

Justin swallowed, he could see all his data still being eaten away behind the reaper.

"Who are you?" Justin asked the hidden hacker.

"Shinigamii" The reaper almost whispered it to him.

"Never heard of you." Justin snapped back, almost bravely.

"Then you need to open your ears kid, Deathgods don't like having to repeat themselves." That laugh again and Justin swallowed hard, his throat dry and scratchy.

"Have fun salvaging this mess." Shinigamii told him before he just disappeared. Two seconds later his screen went black and Justin took a deep breath.

The room was pitch black. Even the power light was off. Justin reached down and by feel found the power button. But nothing happened. There was no reassuring hum, no cooling fan. Nothing happened. He just sat there in silence and shivered.

Shinigamii. Why the hell had he never heard of such a dangerous and skilled hacker? He had to get back on, had to find out. Had to ask a few safe sources, there was no one this Shinigamii had just learned his coding yesterday. He'd pay back this debt, if it was the last thing he ever did.

OOO

Duo rolled his shoulders. His eyes were heavier than ever. Sleep was pulling him out of the office and back up the stairs to the warm bed waiting for him. Duo yawned and started shutting down. His work already erased from existence. Anyone who tried to steps back here was only going to have overheated trash left. Not that Barcode was going to be hacking anytime soon. Not unless he had a hidden backup system that was at a separate location.

And Duo already knew all he needed to know about Barcode. Justin. Though, something about that was nagging at him. But he was too tired to try and piece it together now. It would came back to him later.

Right now he had the trouble of sneaking back into bed. Knowing Heero, the guy would point a gun at him the moment he cracked the door open. If he was lucky, Heero would remember who he was before he pulled the trigger.

Duo pushed away from the desk and stood stiffly. He'd be good tomorrow. And he felt a little bone weary right now. Climbing the dark stairs Duo thought of Heero waiting for him in the big bed. Guiltily he imagined Heero waiting in that bed a different way and blushed. No good to think like that. That man was cold steel wrapped in Gundanium. And he'd like to live to survive this war.

He may spend his nights longing for a man he couldn't have, but his self preservation instinct kept him from doing anything really stupid, and that was a small blessing during these times. But then again, so was getting to sleep in a warm bed, safe, that smelled like Heero Yuy.

Even Yuy couldn't stop him from enjoying breathing. No wait, he could… but if Duo was smart, he'd avoid being choked in his sleep and he might even get to ogle a sleepy Heero in the morning.

Smiling to himself, he crawled back into bed and left his eyes slam shut, his body begging for the sleep he needed. Tomorrow he'd sleep in late, no matter what Heero Yuy thought. Tonight he'd earned it by covering all their asses.


	40. Chapter 40

Disclaimer: This is fanfiction, this is for my amusement. Don't own Gundam Wing and you don't have to read it if you don't like it.

Annnnd I'm a bad person. Jeeze I miss writing, con life has taken over my actual life (that and Tumblr). It's been so long since I've written anything, let alone fanfiction. but let's try and jump back in, shall we?

Beyond the Grave

Chapter 40: Hope

Heero heard the doorbell, it snuck in past the warmth of the covers and the body next to him. Hammered into him really, and shattered the peace he'd wrapped around himself. He wasn't groggy when he opened his eyes. Or disoriented. Just awake.

And staring at Duo's feet.

Heero started to push himself up to see where the rest of Duo was and his back none-to-subtly reminded him that the pills he'd taken the day before were now completely worn off. So he let himself back down and reached out to gently stroke Duo's ankle.

Distantly he heard voices down stairs as Duo stirred, people talking and walking about. But with the curtains drawn and the room suspended in twilight, he had no grasp on what time it was.

"Huh?" Duo's voice asked as the feet shifted and left Heero's view. A moment later the bed shifted and Heero was looking up at Duo sitting tailor style in the place his knees had just occupied.

"How are you feeling?" Duo asked him, shoving his hair out of his face with an absent gesture, watching him with bright but wary eyes.

"That's my question." Heero muttered, he wanted to sit up, but knew the movement would cost him. "Why were you upside down?"

Duo looked down at the foot of the bed and then back at him. He gave Heero a half smile and shrugged. Heero was struck by how familiar that shrug was, it pulled him straight back to the short time he'd been granted to live with Duo, to wake up and find him already in the kitchen with coffee and cereal. To find a smiling face waiting for him with bed head in the morning light, and a casual shrug that answered no question, but hinted that Duo had been up to something.

Heero did try and sit up then, and the sharp intake of breath at the pain it caused made Duo move into action, to come out of his relaxed state to help Heero get up and out from under the covers.

"Duo, are you ok?" Heero asked, a little out of breath. That frustrated him and made the question come out more like a demand. He hated being injured, hated it when his body betrayed him like this.

But before Duo could be made to answer, they both heard the pounding footsteps of someone climbing the stairs in a hurry. Heero turned towards the door just as the knocking came.

"Come in Fei." Duo called to the knocker and Heero looked away from Wu Fei's entrance to stare at him, his attention suddenly focused. Something was going on here, something had changed while he'd slept. Even four and a half years apart were not enough to erase these old habits and small triggers that Heero knew so well. Whatever Duo went through, his core remained the same and something was different. In a small amount of time Duo had gone from confused and time line jumping, upset and on the verge of giving up, to something more like what he'd been five years ago.

Someone who had a handle on everything around him, and though a bit awkward and goofy at times, someone who was dangerous under a very thin mask.

"It's almost noon." Wu Fei told them first off as he came in, though he paused when he realized Heero wasn't looking at him. And now neither was Duo, he was looking back at Heero. Meeting his confused and disgruntled gaze with a half smile that belied a secret.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Wu Fei demanded. Trying to come round to the foot of the bed so that he could see them both.

"I'm not sure." Heero replied, but he didn't take his eyes off Duo.

"Nothings wrong." Duo said, a little confusion sneaking into his voice. Then he turned sharply to Wu Fei. "Unless something is. Is Trowa ok?"

Heero's mind whipped away from this puzzle in his bed to his friend in the hospital. He also turned to Wu Fei, who seemed both relieved and startled to have both his friends attention so suddenly.

"Yes, Trowa is doing alright. He is being held for observation another day, but the doctors said he'll be fine." Wu Fei explained.

"How's... how is Quatre doing?" Duo asked, Heero could hear a bit of reluctance in his voice, but he was all there. Aware of the world around him, current with events, and acting way too normal.

"He is still very upset." Wu Fei said, Heero was starting to see how tired he was, it was probably safe to bet that the man had been up all night. He saw Duo flinch out of the corner of his eye and saw Wu Fei respond to it. "He does not blame you Duo. So please don't blame yourself."

Duo looked down at his hands. "I'll try Fei, but I'm not making promises."

Both Heero and Wu Fei were now staring at him, blatantly confused and concerned.

"Duo, what's going on?" Heero demanded. "Why are you so..." He couldn't think of a nice and easy way to ask. Any way he thought of made Duo sound crazy.

"Why am I so normal today?" Duo took the decision out of his hands. "I don't know. To be perfectly honest, I'm terrified it's not going to last." Duo's confession worried him enough to reach out, and it was a double edged blade of relief and more worry when Duo took his hand. "But everything's so clear right now. I'm still tired, I'm still anxious and I have a small headache, but it's like someone pulled back curtains somewhere and I can see now."

Heero exchanged a worried look with Wu Fei. "Maybe we should get breakfast." Heero suggested. "And you can tell us what happened?"

Wu Fei nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. I'll wait downstairs and get things started." He looked at Heero, "Should I send someone up to help you?"

"No." Duo answered him, getting off the bed and pushing his hair out of his face again. "I can help him." He gave Wu Fei and smile and went into the bathroom.

Wu Fei paused and looked to Heero for confirmation.

"It's alright. Go ahead." Heero nodded towards the door. In the bathroom the shower started and he heard Duo humming.

Wu Fei nodded, but also glanced at the bathroom door, as if to silently ask Heero to figure out what was going on with their friend.

He left and Duo finished his shower quickly, coming out in just his boxers and opening the closet, his now short hair slicked back, still wet. Heero watched his every move, as if waiting for something to happen, though he didn't know what.

"Is my being normal that strange?" Duo asked, turning around with pants in his hands.

"Well no, except that you were very upset yesterday." Heero pointed out. There had never been any cause to dance around a subject between them before, so why start now?

"Yeah, I was." Duo agreed, pulling up his pants and buttoning them. "It's weird though, I remember it, but not properly, there's a lot of other memories mixed in with it."

"You were confused for a while, you had some flashbacks." Heero told him, he knew he'd want to know if their roles had been reversed.

"Makes sense." Duo nodded and then came over to help Heero stand up. "I don't think we should attempt a shower, but let's get you some fresh clothes."

Heero hated when nurses or maids had to help him dress, but with Duo it was almost natural. It had been awkward the first two times, when Heero had first helped Duo during the war. And then again a few weeks later when he'd had to accept help. But by now it was just another thing that happened when one of them got hurt. A natural rhythm they settled into, adjusting to something that wasn't unfamiliar to them.

"I'm worried about you recovering so fast. You seemed so lost yesterday." Heero said plainly. "I'm worried something's wrong and you're not telling me because I'm injured."

Duo looked up from where he'd kneeled in front of Heero to help him step out of his pants and into a new pair. His smile was gone and his eyes were a little sad, but determined all the same.

"I'm worried too. I don't know why sleep helped so much. Maybe I rebooted like a computer." Duo attempted to smile at his own joke but it fell flatter than a pancake and the smile disappeared quickly. "I don't know what to tell you." Duo stood slowly, letting Heero button his own pants and then turning to find a shirt while Heero pulled the back of the collar over his head with the rest of the shirt following.

Duo held up a shirt and Heero nodded slightly and held out his arms so that Duo could start to pull it on. He lost sight of Duo.

"Except... Well, I can read the label on this shirt." Heero felt like he needed to breathe deeper, but the angle he was at wouldn't allow it. So he had a moment of slight dizziness. "And I know there's no way I could have told you what it said yesterday. And i'm pretty sure that's a good thing, except that I think you and Wu Fei will find a way to make it bad."

Heero wanted to instantly deny that, except that his bring was already doing just that. Trying to figure out if Duo recovering his reading ability was somehow a clue that something had gone wrong.

Had the doctor said that was permanent, or that Duo might recover it one day? Or that if he started learning, it might all come back suddenly? Weren't doctors always unsure about bring abnormalities? Weren't there a lot of unresolved cases that were never explained properly because doctors simply had no clue about why something had happened?

Duo pulled the shirt down and the collar popped down over Heero's head, returning eye contact to them.

"I also think that I may have a clue." Duo said, keeping eye contact and reaching out to run his fingers lightly down Heero's arm from elbow to wrist. "But I'm worried you and Wu Fei will shuffle me off to the therapist and try and exclude me from where this clue is going to take us."

Heero started to open his mouth, to demand an answer, to know what this clue was and how Duo had come across it. He intended to do just what Duo had said, he'd get Duo on the road to recovery, take care of everything that had been going wrong lately and put them back on the right track to living their lives peacefully. He had to fix things. Had Duo forgotten something he'd seen yesterday in his confusion. Was it the man Wu Fei had told him Duo had gotten his hands on. What was this clue, he needed it, he needed to get down stairs, he needed to... he needed to sit down again as his back reminded him that he wasn't running anywhere. No matter how much he wished it.

"Don't I have a right to help?" Duo asked, guiding him towards the bed as he watched Heero's face. Probably seeing the new light sheen of sweat and the pain he was trying to hide. "Don't I have a right to know what's going on? To face these bastards just as much as you do? To get my life back."

Heero felt guilt rearing up to hang heavily around his neck, adding to the pain.

"At the very least to get closure." Duo smiled at him, letting it become a joke.

Heero sighed heavily, he hated the idea that right now Duo would be more helpful anyway. He was grounded with his injured back. And the shoot out had shown him just that, driving home just how useless he'd be were they attacked again.

"You do deserve all that Duo." Heero leaned slightly against Duo when he sat down next to him. for the support and also just so he'd be touching him. "But I don't want you hurt, in any way. And I'm worried about this sudden recovery as well."

"Hey, it's not like I'm completely fixed, I'm still broken inside. Just like you." Duo grabbed Heero's hand and gave it a light squeeze. "But I 'm not time jumping anymore and perfectly capable of helping."

Heero nodded. True that Duo seemed to have stopped the flashback, and a good nights rest had done him wonders. But he didn't think it was unreasonable of him to demand that Duo stay here today so he could keep an eye on him. To make sure that things were back on track to where they'd been headed before Trowa had been taken.

So he asked just that, watching Duo's face. It made sense that horrible situations would trigger memory jumps, sometimes it happened to him too, but coming back out of those and learning to live with the flashbacks took longer than a night or even a few months to handle.

Duo nodded, he could see the practicality behind Heero's reasoning. But he did look a little ruffled about it. Still, in true Duo fashion, he brushed it off and stood with a sigh.

"Come on, let's get you down stairs. I'm hungry, you probably are, and I'm worried Wu Fei is about to send a search party with pancake shields and cereal bowl helmets." Duo gently helped Heero to his feet and they started towards the door. Heero dreaded the stairs, and he'd have to come back up them later.

"Oh don't look like that. I'm here to help you." Duo suddenly said, bringing Heero's hand up to his lips and dropping a light kiss there. Then he looked away, beet red as if the kiss had been an involuntary action he couldn't stop.

Heero let him talk the whole way down, cover his actions and embarrassment with words and jokes. But he couldn't stop himself from smiling and hoping that the kiss had meant that Duo truly was moving forward again. That yesterday and not completely unraveled all the progress they'd made.


End file.
